


The Beginning

by Writing_is_Gone



Series: Omnisoa AU [1]
Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Neglect, Fighting, Kevin is Osmosian okay, Kid Fic, Pierce DOESNT die, Team as Family, anti-character death, chase scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-01 12:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 29,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11486001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_is_Gone/pseuds/Writing_is_Gone
Summary: AU; Ben was left alone for a very long time, he accepts things too easily, he gets attached really fast, and then he is left alone all over again.[ON HIATUS]





	1. I'm Going To Cry

**Author's Note:**

> Ben, Gwen, Lucy, Cooper 12
> 
> Allen 13
> 
> Helen, Manny, Pierce, Kevin 14
> 
> Erethizon dorsatum( porcupine) Didelphimorphia(opossum) Atropa belladonna(deadly nightshade)
> 
> Atroperedidel is a fake name for whatever Argit is,,,, Basically the Rooter Arc in Omniverse pissed me off so I made an AU to fulfill my need for families. And I cool thing I thought of got added into this messTM.

Ben carefully wrote the dates on the calendar using different colored markers, blue for water, yellow for electric, green for gas, and purple for the phones. Each the date that they would be turned off; his parents were supposed to be back from their cruise by now. Right now though, the entire house was an absolute mess. 

The fridge only had ketchup and assorted condiments, the freezer had four year-old chicken nuggets, and the cabinets were empty except for cooking oil. The living room looked like a camping site with Ben’s sleeping bag and blanket fort; which he built when the air conditioner had been turned off two weeks ago and going in his room had a chance of heatstroke. The blanket fort was full with all the emergency items is the house like the first-aid kit. The sink was full and the  laundry was piling up since the water was turned off two days ago. 

In five days the gas would be turned off, no oven, or-okay, Ben had no idea what else was hooked up to the gas. A week after that the phones would be off, and today the electricity was turned off. Thankfully Ben had took the matches and his mom’s scented candles, which were in the blanket fort. Luckily, it was only three in the afternoon, there was no need for light, but none of the fans were working, so he’d probably overheat soon. 

He could do chores for Mr. Baumann for change, or something to drink or to eat.  _ Like Mr. Baumann likes me enough for that,  _ Ben rolled over onto the floor in the living room staring up at the ceiling.  _ Maybe I can get Mr. Baumann to make a loan or something, _ Ben covered his face with his arms, and let out the biggest huff. If he had any money he would be cooling off at the local pool, but no, he spent the money his parents left for food like always and like always it ran out before his parents got back.

A knock at the door sent Ben running,  _ Finally, It’s been two months longer than you’re usually gone.  _ Ben threw open the door and instantly sunk, it was Ship, not his parents. _ At least, I have company now, _ Ship let out a few beeps and Ben smiled, “Okay, you can show me your new tricks, in the backyard this time.”

Ben stuck his finger out and scolded Ship lightly, when he couldn’t explain the torch marks left on the front door he was grounded for three weeks! Three weeks was too long a time for Ben especially since he had Highbreeds to fight and plumber business. After about an hour of Ship turning into different types of lawnmowers (he probably got into a dealership for lawn mowers or something like that), Ben laid down in the middle of the freshly cut lawn and stared at the sun. 

A week before May started Ben came home from school to see that his parents went on another vacation. Usually they were gone for two-three weeks but it was Mid-June, and Ben had no way of contacting them. He was starving, smelly from no showers, and angry. Gwen was touring Europe with her parents and Ken. Grandpa Max was teaching plumbers in space with no way to call Ben or anyone. Ben sat up, scaring poor Ship, and hit the grass with his hands. Ben made a decision, one that definitely would get Ben grounded, but right now he didn’t care. 

Ben had to wait til the sun was long down and it was cool enough for him to go in his room. Ship had followed Ben inside curious why Ben was alone and now the mechamorph was asleep on the couch. Ben slammed his door against the wall, and stomped towards his closet. His parents should’ve been back by now, they should have paid the bills, they should be asleep in their room after scolding Ben for staying up even though it was summer. 

Grabbing his biggest backpack, Ben filled it with all the clean clothes he had. Tossing dirty clothes, and a few soccer awards out of the way, Ben crawled to the back of the closet. The hoverboard that Tetrax had given was quickly shoved in the backpack. Then the backup laser gun Grandpa Max given him, and finally all of Grandpa Max’s messages that he left Ben. 

A tablet that Blukic and Driba had specially made for him went in the bag, too, which was quickly filling up. When they had first given the tablet to Ben, they used a lot of terms Ben didn’t quite get, but he did get that not even Diamondhead could destroy it and that it had direct contact to Azmuth. Azmuth who never ever responded to Ben or anyone else. Not that Ben tested the new tablet. 

There was room left for one thing and Ben just grabbed swimming trunks and stuffed them in there, he had no idea where he was going, so why not? Besides he didn’t want anything to break from moving to much in the backpack. Ben quickly went in the bathroom and grabbed his sleeping pills. The bottle was almost empty. Going back into the living room and plopping himself down on the couch, he softly asked Ship, “You wanna come with me?”

Ship responded happily by sending out a lot beeps, and flashes. Ben laughed a little, popped up the omnitrix and twisted it the wrong way. Calming his nerves, Ben pushed down the omnitrix. The omnitrix sent out a shrill sound, and then stopped. Ben looked at his watch now flashing green, indicating that he sent out a distress signal. _ What’s gonna happen now?  _ Ben thought bitterly to himself.

* * *

 

Devin huffed as Sam typed away at faster than normal speeds. Sam was an odd one to say the least, a hybrid son  of a Kineceleran and an Atroperedidel (an extremely rare and exclusive species that live on asteroids). Sam usual did tech runs for the team but right now he was frowning at the screen. Even though he was a hybrid, his physical appearance blended well against each other. His poisonous spines standing at the illusion of the most unkempt ‘hair’ on his head. Blue-black striped lizard tail and his three pointed claws snapping every two minutes. With the addition of his wheeled feet he was the natural at moving around. 

“It seems we have a distress signal,” Sam announced clearing trying to figure out who sent the signal. Devin could see from the screen they had the where, and when, but no why. It was a simple neighborhood, multiple residents, and no authorized plumbers for miles. But it did have high rates of Forever Knights, attacks, and property damage. 

“Want me to go?” Devin leaned against the wall, watching Sam go through all the data in his head. Sam was extremely smart when it came to percentages and strategies. Devin had the most experience, most training and was the most efficient when it came to quick rescues. And since no plumbers were registered it probably meant a plumber’s kid, maybe they started to develop on their alien side or were too young to realize that they sent out a distress signal. 

“Can I come?” Sam’s youngest, Helen, asked before Sam could tell Devin he could go. Three years ago Helen, looked completely human, and exactly like her mother. After she turned twelve her kineceleran blood began to mature in her and now no one could tell that she’s half-human. The fourteen-old was at the doorway, holding it with her claws and leaning back, “Please? You take Pierce.” 

“On missions we have all the details to. We barely have anything here,” Sam said crossing his arms, and now starting the one way to settle an argument in the Wheels’ family, staring contest. Pierce was Sam’s oldest, talking after the atroperedidel and human blood more than anything else, including the kineceleran habit to leap before thinking. They usually took him on missions to stakeout a place or when they needed to think outside the box and needed a fresh pair of eyes. He was only a year older than Helen so she often fought on the unfair side of everything. 

Sam seemed to won when he said, “Devin is going alone,” still not backing away from his daughter’s pupiless eyes. Finally, Helen looked away, huffed, and crossed her arms. 

“Aw, come on it’s not that bad,” Sam spoke to his daughter guiding her back to the kitchen where Manny, Pierce, and Angie was waiting. Angie was the second strongest  Tetramand Devin has ever fought, and kindest he’s ever met. Angie had a different name before she came to Earth and decided to make it easier for her teammates to say. Angie just so happened to be the name she choose and almost no one knows her real name. Almost, Devin and Sam knew it and could pronounce it easily. 

Manny smiled as Helen pouted at the table, “Said no I take it?”

Manny always teased Helen, and always wanted to fight someone. Manny was Angie’s only child in the entire universe so natural she was a mother hen with him twenty-four/seven. Never letting him out of her sight, and never letting him tease Helen too bad. Angie whapped Manny on the head, “Don’t be mean to her. She’s barely ever off the farm.”

“It’s not a farm,” Sam was about to start this discussion again. They lived in the country, they didn’t farm. Angie gave Sam a good glare before smiling at Helen who was groaning against the table. “How about we make breakfast in the morning, Helen?”

Angie always made the meals, she was incredible at almost any dish, and loved to cook for everyone. Devin or Manny usually helped her, but often shooed the Wheels out the kitchen for their genetic trait to burn everything thing they cooked. Helen looked up and silently nodded. Helen liked doing things with all of them, including the two missing kids. Alan, the most well-behaved child probably in the entire universe was likely already asleep. 

“Where’s Kevin?” Devin saw Manny’s guilty face, and Pierce’s normal uninterested gaze, which meant the usual. Kevin snuck out, probably to ‘hang’ with Argit. That atroperodidel was going to get Kevin killed someday. He told Kevin that, to which Kevin responded, “That job will kill you. At least I’m having fun.” Kevin was now grounded for forever. 

Devin declined to wait til the morning, and told his teammates the sooner he got whoever sent the distress signal, the better he’d feel. Being a plumber always made Devin feel like someone getting hurt was his fault. Bellwood was a three hour drive away, so by the time he got there it should be about three or two-thirty in the morning if he was lucky with traffic. 

“Now, all of you get to bed, and go to sleep like Alan already is,” And that sent everyone upstairs to sleep.

* * *

 

The drive was rather quick and by the time he was in the outer suburbs of Bellwood it was only two. Parking in the road, Devin took a look at the house all the lights were off, but it looked like maybe a phone or computer was on in one room. Grabbing the small device that showed infrared rays, Devin saw a small heat source-probably a plumber’s kid like they thought-and an evener smaller, cooler blob. Devin was halfway to the door when the neighbor opened his door and stalked out. 

“Mind telling me who you are?” The neighbor glared at Devin, the distress signal’s door opened wide, “Don’t worry, Mr. Baumann! He’s a friend of Grandpa.” The little boy pulled Devin in and then sighed. Devin did a quick check of the boy, no injuries, and no alien attends. Hearing a loud beep Devin felt more saw something against his leg. It was a Galvanic Mechamorph Blob. Small, curious things that were a lot like puppies, and like puppies, loyal to their master.

“Ship, it’s okay! He’s a plumber,” The boy told the blob before looking in Devin in the eyes, “You are a plumber, right?”

“Yep. What’s your name, son?” Devin noticed the way the kid shrunk against ‘son’. 

“It’s Ben, and only my grandpa can call me son,” the boy didn’t look mad, just informing Devin.

“Well, I’m Devin. Is your grandpa a plumber?” Devin crouched so he could look the kid in the eyes.

“Yeah! He’s the best plumber, ever!” Ben looked so excited to talk about his grandfather, it reminded Devin of when Helen and Manny would gloat to each other about how their parents could take down platoons of the enemy. 

“Are you alone?” Ben nodded and looked down, “My parents told me not to call Grandpa, or the police, so I called the space police instead.” 

“Do they leave you alone a lot?” Devin had to admit the kid was pretty smart.

“About three times a year. They’re usually back in a few weeks.” Devin didn’t want to be rude, but who the hell leaves their kid alone that often. This kid probably wasn’t older than Alan. 

“Can I take a look around?” Ben nodded and walked back into the kitchen. The calendar on the wall showed dates; water, electricity, and even gas. All turned off, no wonder there was dishes in the sink, and Ben looked sick. _ No wonder he called the plumbers, he might die living like this.  _

Ben was sitting at the table, where one scented candle burned. He rested his head on his arms, and struggled to keep his eyes open. 

“How old are you?” Devin opened the fridge, not even enough to fill a small pillowcase. 

“I turned twelve in February,” Ben had a jacket on and was picking at some of the loose threads.

“Does any of your extended family live nearby?”

“Yes, but they’re on vacation in Europe for the whole summer,” Ben closed his eyes and kept them close. Devin could feel anger as a parent, but also as a humanoid. Ben was younger than Alan, all alone in the city, and he clearly expected this to happened and was used to it happening. 

“It’s the first time they forgot to pay the bills ahead of time,” Ben whispered to himself, clearly trying to stay awake. Devin definitely was going to personally make sure Ben was somewhere safe. 

Placing his hand on Ben’s shoulder, sent him jolting up. Ship let out a beep at Devin and Devin was going to ask about Ship later. “Do you have any family in the States?”

Ben made a face, “Really extended family. The closest is my great-aunt three states over.”

“Well, you can stay with me and my team. We live three hours over, and you can stay as long as you want,” Ben nodded sleepily, and whispered, “Last time when I was three, the police made me pack a bag, so I already did, -yawn- it’s on the couch.”

Devin nodded as Ben almost fell asleep again, _ Clearly, he’s not gonna stay awake. _ Devin hooked his arm under Ben and easily lifted him into the air, Ben made a sound that said _ i don’t mind.  _

“We need to tell Mr. Baumann, so he doesn’t think I ran away, again,” Ben mumbled as he rubbed his eye. Devin wasn’t sure if Ben meant he ran away before, or that Mr. Baumann thought he ran away. Blowing the candle out and quickly grabbing the dark purple backpack, Devin strode out of the house. Ship ran to the car and slip through the doors, turning back he saw the neighbor, Mr. Baumann, watching from the porch. Going as far as the fence, Devin said out, “Ben staying the next couple of days with me.”

“Show me your plumber badge,” Mr. Baumann face and voice held no room to argue, so Devin simply compiled. Mr. Baumann stared at it for a few moments, before nodding, “Fine. Take care of Ben, and keep an eye on him. He can do millions worth of damage.”

Ben giggled, “Love you, too, Mr. Baumann.” Mr. Baumann made a face like he watched over Ben for most of Ben’s life, which was probably true. 

“Let me give you my number in case something happens,” Mr. Baumann ran back inside his house, and Ben was out like a light right after. After quick goodbyes, and making sure the seatbelt was clicked in around Ben, Devin drove back home. He was going to do some explaining to Sam.

* * *

 

Naturally by the time they got to the house, the sun was barely over the trees. Shaking Ben awake Devin whispered, “I’ll show you your room, and you can sleep some more.” 

Ben nodded, and unbuckled himself while Ship beeped and followed Ben. After showing Ben the kitchen, bathroom, and then the only bedroom on ground level, Devin decided to wake up his teammates. Sam was a nightmare to wake up, and Angie took forever to get up out of bed. When all three were walking down the stairs, the front door closed. 

“Kevin Levin, mind to tell me where you were?” Devin crossed his arms, as Kevin winced. 

“Dad, I didn’t expect you to be up so soon,” Kevin said looking around for a place to escape, and fidgeting. 

“I haven’t been to bed, and I can see that you haven’t been either,” Devin, pointed to Kevin’s room upstairs, “Wash up and we’ll talk about this later.” 

Kevin opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded. He stomped up the stairs. Devin sighed, and followed his team into the kitchen.

“Better hurry it up, Dev, I promised Helen she could help,” Angie crossed both sets of her arms, and gave a pointed glare. 

“It was a plumber’s grandkid, no powers, but, god the state the house was left in,” Devin ran his hand through his hair, and leaned against the doorway. 

“Well?” Sam moved his hand and his tail started to patter against the ground. 

“No water, lights, food. Soon the gas and phones would be off. A twelve year-old left alone for two months, and even worse he’s use to being left alone several times a year.” 

Devin could see the anger in Angie’s face, she always got upset when it involved children, and Sam mumbled under his breath, “Younger than Helen.” 

“At least his grandpa gave him something in case that happened,” Sam said out loud trying to calm Angie. She visibly calmed down, “I’m gonna wake Helen so we can get started on breakfast.” 

“I’m letting him sleep in the room down from the stairs,” Devin watched as Angie nodded, she’d probably try and make him something special for lunch or dinner. Sam gestured to the stairs, “Gonna talk to Kevin, now?” 

“Sooner the better, right?” Sam nodded, and Devin sighed. Kevin’s room was the dirtiest room in the entire house, the bed wasn’t made, and Kevin was laying on his back staring at the ceiling. 

“Wanna tell me why you were out so late?” Devin leaned against the wall, space was the best thing for Kevin. Kevin put his arms over his eyes, “Argit has somethin’ I want.” 

“And that is?” Devin raised an eyebrow. Kevin turned away from his dad. “Kevin, you’ve been going out a lot more, and more temperamental. You can tell me what’s wrong,” 

Kevin was still turned towards the wall closest to his bed, “In two days, it’ll be two years since,”

Kevin left the sentence unfinished. Osmosians had a deep history when it came ‘mating’. Osmosians could tell who their perfect match or as most humans called them soulmates, by smell, touch, and a feeling deep inside their soul. Osmosians also had a great pride in their family, and detest rejection. If an Osmosian’s match rejected them, anger could take over and they could try to kill their match, especially if the Osmosian had absorbed electricity recently. Kevin met his match, had been absorbing electricity for years, and been rejected. Devin was just glad nothing had happened to Kevin’s match, or Kevin.

Devin sighed, walked all the way in the room and sat down on the edge of Kevin’s bed, “It’ll get better. At least nothing really bad happened to either of you.” 

Kevin nodded, but stayed in bed.

“Wanna spar after you do your chores?” Kevin nodded and finally sat up, “Why were you still up?”

“Distress signal, a plumber’s grandkid. He’s asleep downstairs,” Devin stood up, “Now, it’s time that you get ready for the day.” 

“Ughh,” Kevin rolled his head back and groaned, “Do I have to?” Laughter escaped from Devin’s throat. 

Angie and Helen weren’t the only two in the kitchen. Alan and Sam were both at the table talking to each other. 

“Hey Alan. Getting use to livin’ here?” Kevin pulled out a chair and plopped down. 

“Yup. Your dad ground you again?” 

“Yup,” Devin answered, Kevin made a face of mock betrayal, and everyone let out a large laugh. 

“Fine Alan you get to wake up Manny,” Kevin crossed his arms.

“No fair!” 

“Too bad,” Kevin announced.

“Then you can wake the new kid,” Sam told Kevin pointing to the door. Naturally Kevin stuck his tongue out. 

“Go Kevin,” Devin said. Kevin groaned, but stood up, “Fiiiine, Dad.” 

Kevin walked into the new kid’s and flinched at the beep that the galvanic mechamorph blob let out. It’s eye-circle was crescent shaped pointing down and glowing. Kevin put his hands up, “Relax little guy, my dad’s Devin.” 

That calmed the blob down, and it sunk next to the lump on the bed. All Kevin saw shaggy brown hair and Kevin started walking towards the bed speaking to the blob, “I have to wake him up now. It’s time to eat.”

The blob beeped once, but didn’t stop Kevin from lighty shaking the other kid’s shoulder. 

“Wakey wakey,” Kevin smiled as the kid rolled over, and quickly lost the smile. It was Ben. Ben Tennyson. Ben sat up and rubbed his eyes. Ben froze.

“Kevin?” Ben said fear and uncertainty clear in his voice. 

“Before you freak out let me explain,” Kevin took a few steps away from the bed, and held both arms out, “You remember how I absorbed electricity?”

Ben silently nodded. Kevin continued, “Well absorbing electricity makes Osmosians crazy.” The quicker Kevin explained the better.

“Osmosian?” Ben said staring at Kevin, no longer afraid just curious.

“An alien. I’m half osmosian,” Kevin said dropping his arms to his sides. 

“Last time I saw you, you were pulled into the null void,” Ben glared at Kevin, “how’d you get out?”

“My dad ended up there and we left,” Kevin really wanted to skip over most of the details. 

“And your dad is?” 

“Devin,” Kevin said as he watch Ben go over everything that Kevin told him. 

“Okay, but don’t tell anyone that I have the omnitrix,” Ben said throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. 

“Deal,” Kevin watched as Ben stuck his hand out, again. Ten year-old Ben before the sumo slammer heist; the next day after they fought and Kevin absorbed the omnitrix; Ben holding onto Kevin as the plumber snake pulled him back into the Null Void. Kevin shook Ben’s hand. 

“Well, I’ll see you in the kitchen,” Kevin politely said then got out of Ben’s room as fast as he could. He did notice one thing the watch was different. Very different. 

* * *

Ben stretched, his arms above his head. Ship gave out a lot beeps. 

“Don’t worry Ship, I have this, remember,” Ben had his left arm right next to head and chuckled as Ship sent out a ‘threatening’ beep. It probably be more threatening if Ben understood Ship. 

“And you could definitely take anyone,” Ben rubbed Ship’s head, “Now, let’s get something to eat.” 

Ben picked up Ship and walked to the kitchen, the female Tetramand was whisking what Ben thought was pancake mix. The smaller Tetramand was frowning at the table, the girl Kineceleran was poking his cheek, and what looked to be a normal kid like Ben was rubbing his bruised arm and pouting at the Tetramand boy. All three stop what they were doing and stared at Ben, the girl gasped and ran to Ben. 

“What’s that?” She pointed at Ship.

“Helen don’t be rude,” The adult Tetramand scolded Helen lightly. There was a crash upstairs and a scream of ‘Levin!’ then running down the steps. Kevin bolted past Ben and stopped being the adult. A boy that Ben recognized as an Atroperedidel halfbreed stopped a few steps from Ben. 

“Come and fight me, Levin,” The Atroperedidel boy’s spines were extending and Ben stepped back and bumped into an Kineceleran/Atroperedidel hybrid. 

“Kevin, what did you do?” Devin was there, too. Scolding his son, Kevin. Now that they were in the same room Ben saw the resemblance. 

“Just waking up Pierce, Dad,” Kevin smirked from behind the Tetramand. 

Pierce growled and stepped closer to Kevin, and the Tetramand spoke up, “No fighting, boys! Now both of you sit down!” Both boys speed-walked to the table and sat opposite of each other; one glaring, the other smirking. The Tetramand stepped in front of Ben, and Ben was quickly reminded of two weeks ago when he fought Princess Looma, and how he’s her betrothed, now. Wait, she was looking for a ‘Kevin Ethan Levin’, no way. 

“I am Angie and this is my son, Manny,” Angie gestured to the Tetramand at the table. 

“I’m Ben, and this is Ship,” Ben raised Ship up, who responded by beeping and wriggling out Ben’s hands. Ship just ran around Ben’s legs. 

“I’m Helen, and this is my brother Pierce, and that’s my dad, Sam,” Helen speed around Ben before stopping in front of him, “And I’m still the only girl here.” 

Angie giggled, and Ben smiled sympathetically. The kid from the table spoke up, “And I’m Alan.”

Everyone was staring at Kevin, Kevin made a face and rolled his eyes, “Kevin.” 

Devin sighed as Helen giggled. Devin said to Ben, “He’s my son, and don’t worry he’s a good kid at heart.” 

“Right here, Dad,” Kevin said, his head in his hand. 

“What are we doing today?” Helen asked as she took her seat next to Manny. 

“Hand-to-Hand combat,” Sam said sitting as everyone took their spots. There was two seats leftover one for Angie and one for Ben; one was next to Manny and the other was next to Pierce. Ben sat next to Pierce, who didn’t glared Ben into the ground, so hopefully everything was okay. 

Alan leaned over, “Don’t worry it gets less intense after training. I’m half Pyronite, by the way.”

“That’s good to know, and I’m a quarter Anodite, but I don’t have the ‘spark’,” Ben smiled back at Alan. 

“What’s an Anodite?” Helen asked staring at Ben.

“Anodites are beings of pure energy, using mana and life force around them to manipulate the world,” Pierce said looking at a tablet he put on the table.  _ Where’d he even get that? _

Helen stuck her tongue out, “Yeah, yeah. I’m Pierce and I have know everything about everything.”

Pierce glared at Helen, “Actually Anodites are probably the most secretive species, more so than Atroperedidels.”

“What do you mean you don’t have the spark?” Manny cut off Helen and Pierce’s chat to ask Ben. 

“I can’t access mana or any life force, but I get the clairvoyance part, kinda,” Ben said picking at the loose threads at his jacket again.

“How?” Alan asked.

“Um, my nightmares show me everything bad that can, will, has, or in alternate timelines have happened,” Ben felt uncomfortable, “That’s why I take sleeping pills.”

“Alright, that’s enough pestering. Time to eat,” Angie plopped a plate with a gigantic pile of pancakes in the middle of the table. About through everyone’s third pancake, Helen spoke up, “Do you have any alien friends?”

Ben nodded and swallowed his bite, “I have penpal on Revonnah. He’s really cool. We met at Plumber-Camp.”

“Has he lo st his bi'nthak, yet?” Sam asked just as he grabbed his glass of milk. 

“Yeah, his name’s Rook Blonko. He gonna be a plumber once he’s old enough,” Ben shoveled another piece of pancake in his mouth. 

“Anyone else?” Helen asked as she finished the rest of her pancakes.

“Um, there’s my cousins, Lucy’s a sludgepuppy, and Sunny’s an anodite, and my other cousin, Gwen, who’s a quarter anodite, but she has the spark, and-oh I almost forgot-” 

“Ben calm down you’re gonna choke if you don’t chew,” Devin cut Ben off as Ben froze, chewed, and swallowed.

Ben blushed, “Uh, sorry, but anyways my other friend is-um, I can’t pronounce his name so I just call him Reiny. He’s the ruler of his species.” 

Sam chuckled, “How old is he?”

“Um, I don’t think they count how old someone is on his planet,” Ben said as he ate the last of his pancakes, ”I need to take a shower, can I be excused?”

“Of course,” Angie said smiling. Ben scooted his chair back into place then put the dirty dishes in the sink.

* * *

 

Ben had to borrow Alan’s shampoo and soap, and soon he was done with the shower. Getting dress and unpacking his backpack. All the clothes went into the small drawer in the room while the hoverboard, and Grandpa Max’s messages stayed in the bag that Ben put in the closet. Laying on his stomach, Ben turned the tablet on. The tablet was nice and organized. 

Checking any police reports for Bellwood, Ben saw that his parents were still gone. Checking his messages Ben saw nothing, then checking anything with aliens, nothing was out of whack. Someone knocked on the door. 

“It’s open,” Ben turned off his tablet and sat up. Angie came in his room. 

“Everyone’s outside training, wanna watch?” Angie said smiling softly at Ben. Ben nodded. They were in the backyard Helen, Pierce, and Manny was sitting on the steps. Devin was in the yard with Alan going over how to twist someone’s arm, not to break just to disarm. Kevin and Sam was sitting at the table on the back porch. Angie sat on the steps next to Helen and Ben sat on the opposite side next to Pierce. 

“Alright, anyone want to try now?” Devin turned to all the kids, and Helen’s hand shot up, “Me!”

Devin chuckled, “Alright, get up here.” 

Helen popped up and was instantly beside Devin. “Alright, now-” 

Devin was cut off by Helen grabbing his arm twisting it behind his back, “Exactly like that, Helen.” 

Helen let go of Devin, “Now, any-”

“I thought we were going to do combat,” Kevin spoke up. Devin sighed, “We will-”

“Please,” Helen interrupted, doing puppy eyes. Devin sighed and ran his hand over his face.

“Don’t you dare give into the eyes, Devin!” Sam yelled from the porch. Devin groaned again as Helen started to let her bottom lip tremble. 

“Devin-”

“Fine,” Devin said, Sam groaned. 

“Yay!” Helen pumped both her fists and twirled, “Who wants to fight me?” 

Manny stood up, “Oh, I’m definitely getting the first swing at you.” 

“That’s if you can catch me,” Helen said, and then sped off. She appeared on the opposite side of where she was and Manny took his place. The fight was actually pretty short, Helen easily sidestepped Manny’s punch, grabbed two arms that were on the same side and twisted them behind his back. From the punch and Helen’s quick moving Manny ended up falling flat on his stomach. Helen, then to either keep her grip or to make fun of Manny (it could have been both if Ben was honest) sat on Manny’s back.

“Get off of me, Helen!” Manny’s other arms were trying to sit up, and Ben smiled as Helen just said, “No.” 

Devin laughed, “Alright, get off him Helen. Now, that Manny and Helen has gone, anyone else wants to go?” 

Pierce stood up and walked over to his little sister, Helen gladly got off Manny. Ben knowing how ugly family fights eventually got, stood and sat at the table.

“Scared of them, Benji?” Kevin teased, leaning towards Ben. Ben saw flicker of something on Devin’s face, before he faced the siblings again. 

“Ha, clearly you’ve never fought with you family before. They aren’t afraid to use cheap tactics,” Ben said as scooted the chair further from the fight, exaggerating his point. 

Sam laughed, and Angie said, “That is true my thirteen sisters and I would often resort to dirty tricks during training.” 

Manny pointed to Alan, “We’re going next, got it?” 

Alan gasped, “Why me?” 

“Because I heard you laughing at me,” Manny said before turning towards the fight, and ending the conversation. 

“Does that mean Kevin and Ben go then?” Alan said, really to himself than to anyone else. Ben being himself, sent a smile to Kevin, who responded, “I forfeit.”

Ben sent out a laugh, and everyone including the about to fight siblings stopped and stared right at the two. 

“Did-Did Kevin say he’d forfeit if he fought Ben?” Manny looked like someone told him that the world’s most badass fighter lost a fight to a kitten. Ben found it insulting to say the least. 

“What’s wrong with that? I bet I could beat all of you, at the same time,” Ben huffed and crossed his arms. Kevin chuckled, “I’d love to see that.”

Helen huffed, as Manny stood facing Ben, “You really think you can take me?” 

“I know so,” Ben said smiling smug, and in a pretty long time Ben was having fun. 

“Please, let us fight him,” Helen was besides Devin in a second. Pierce nodded and Manny looked at his mom pleadingly, “Please, I’ll stop picking fights with Helen.” 

Alan looked nervous, “Do I have to fight him, too?” 

“Yeah, it has to be all five of us,” Pierce said, then averting his gaze to Kevin, “ **All** of us.” 

“-First of all, none of you is fighting Ben,” Devin cut off, “secondly, none of you should be wanting to gang up on the new kid.” 

Kevin laughed, “Please, dad.” 

Devin made a face like he was debating it. Sam screamed, “Really?!” 

“C’mon. When was the last time they all wanted to do something?” Devin gestured to group. Helen cackled, actually cackled, “Yes!” 

Sam sighed, Angie giggled. 

“Don’t worry, Ben. If any of the try to do real damage I will put a stop to it,” Angie said her smile reassuring. Ben didn’t know what to say back so he just smiled. All six of them got to the yard, five against one and Ben only wish was that the omnitrix work this once. 

“Ben, you sure you don’t want a weapon,” Sam said non believing that some kid wouldn’t want some type of weapon against five hybrids. Ben nodded, “They can have a weapon, if they want.”

Pierce growled and Ben was used to being growled at, but Ben wasn’t use to atroperedidel’s growing their spines then breaking them off. So now, Pierce’s spine was a staff, okay Ben could definitely work with that. 

“Alright, one weapon each, and when any of us says it’s time to stop it’s time to stop,” Devin said, looking pointedly at Kevin and Pierce. _ Guess they fight alot. _

“One,” Helen kneeled like she was about to start a race. 

“Two,” Alan ‘fired’ up as Manny popped his knuckles. 

“Three,” Pierce glared as Kevin smirked at Ben. His smirk saying _ Like the old days, huh? _

Ben smirked said _ Fairer for you, though. _

“GO!” Ben sidestepped Helen at the same time pulling up his sleeve, and activating the omnitrix. Using his gut feeling Ben instantly pushed down. Using the Omnitrix always felt like stretching, but at different points and times. Diamondhead was like rolling his shoulders, Fourarms was like pulling at his arms, Humungousaur was like popping his back and Swampfire was like stretching his legs after sitting on the couch for hours, so Ben had realized the differences between them long ago. 

“SWAMPFIRE!” Ben turned at the moment Manny reeled forward to punch Ben in the face. Ben, now ready grabbed his hand midair. Ben could hear Sam choking on air, and Kevin say under his breath, “He’s new.” 

Manny’s eyes widen as Ben smirked. Ben took Manny’s hand and sent it back effectively making Manny hit himself. Manny fell back, and Helen took Ben’s attention, speeding around Ben to create a tornado and cut off oxygen. Ben’s not new to fighting so naturally Ben used his powers to move the roots in the ground, making them grow larger and hold Helen in place above the ground. 

Helen grunted and kicked her legs uselessly, even tried to cut the roots with her tail. Ben was snapped out of his thoughts as Manny aimed for his head. Ben ducked as headbutt Manny in the stomach, Manny grunted and doubled over. But Pierce took Manny’s place and swiped at Ben with the spine-staff. 

“Does that thing still have poison on it?” Ben dodged, ducked and once jumped out of the staff’s way. 

“I mean have you tested it? It could be like a-”

“Shut up!” Pierce yelled raising the staff far above his head. Ben knew that a little poking at the enemy always worked, using half his full force Ben flat-palmed Pierce in the chest sending over on his back a few feet. Manny was back in commission though, and instead of the head this time went for Ben’s chest. 

Manny’s full arm went through Ben’s chest, the area right above the omnitrix. Pulling back in horror, Manny watched as Ben regrew the hole in his chest. Ben set fire off his hand close enough to Manny that it would make Manny unconscious but far enough that it wouldn’t burn him. 

Alan made two fireballs in each of his hands and threw them at Ben. Ben easily dodged them, and then made a vine cocoon around Alan and pushed down. Alan probably was on his hands and knees know, Ben knowing how Heatblast worked made the vines thicker and sturdier. _ Only one left.  _

Kevin raised both his hands, “Forfeit.” Ben knowing that the watch was about to timeout retracted all the vines and roots; dropping Helen, an exhausted Alan now free and two hotheads both out for a while. 

A flash of green/white, Ben was back smiling, “That was fun.”

* * *

 

“Wow, so you have the omnitrix,” Helen said leaning over the couch. Ben was wrapping Alan’s bruised arm, and just nodded.

“For how long?” Alan asked staring as Ben finished. 

“A little over two years,” Ben tossed the gauze in the first-aid kit. 

“When were you planning on telling us?” Manny said from the floor, Ben had already went over both Manny and Pierce’s injuries, but Pierce was now in his room far, far away from all of them. 

“Don’t know, but it’s not like I did anything wrong,” Ben said slinking down on the couch, “Besides I didn’t really plan on fighting any of you.” 

“Kevin knew,” Ben said, going to put the first-aid back in the bathroom. 

“WhAT!” All three of them said, not quite in unison. Turning back to the kitchen, Helen screamed, “Levin!”

“What?!” Kevin appeared angry glaring at the three in the living room. 

“You knew?” Alan asked staring.

“Tennyson, get your ass back here so I can punch you,” Kevin chased Ben into the hall towards the bathroom. 

Devin popped his head out of the kitchen, “Did Kevin say Tennyson?”

Ben, and Kevin both reappeared; Ben with a bruised arm and Kevin with a bite mark on his arm. 

“You bite Kevin,” Helen said monotone, before bursting out laughter, “Pierce, get down here, something embarrassing happened to Kevin!”

Pierce really showed his Kineceleran blood at that announcement; he stared at Kevin’s arm for a second before doubling over in laughter. 

“Okay, now I like you,” Pierce told Ben. Kevin spoke up, “Oh, that’ll change. Benji here can make everyone hate him.”

“Oh,” Ben said, interrupting with a fake innocent tone, “I almost forgot! Kevin, Looma came to Earth a few weeks ago looking for you.”

Kevin turned glaring at Ben, “You are such a snitch.”

Helen turned to the others, “Who’s Looma?”

Ben smirked to Kevin who sighed, “Nope.”

“Found it!” Devin interrupted the conversation coming down the stairs. He was holding what everyone but Ben already knew as the scrapbook.

“Really, Dad?” Kevin flopped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling, “Benji probably doesn’t care about your old scrapbook.”

Devin rolled his eyes, “Uh-huh. Kept telling yourself that, Kevin.”  

Kevin stuck his tongue out, Helen laughed, Pierce said, “Real mature, Levin.”

“What’s in your scrapbook?” Ben asked peering over the top of the book. 

“If everyone sits down, I’ll show you,” Devin gestured to the couch, and everyone sat down. Kevin, Alan, Ben, and Helen on the couch, with Pierce and Manny sitting on the floor leaning against the couch. 

Devin sat on the coffee table, and flipped through the pages for a little. “Here we are,” Devin said turning the book around for the kids to see a kinda old photograph, one person who Ben would have to guess as a early-twenty Devin, and a late-forty Grandpa Max. 

“No way,” Ben reaches for the scrapbook and is given the book, bringing closer to his face Ben can clearly see the differences between what Ben guess is a ten plus year difference. 

Grandpa Max’s hair is a dark brown, almost black, his skin isn’t wrinkly (it’s not actually wrinkly but it's definitely smoother than now), and he wearing the old outdated Plumber-Suit. But everything else is the same, even Grandpa Max’s eyes are the exact same mix of blue, kindness, and green. 

“Wow. I can’t believe you and Grandpa Max knew each other,” Ben said moving the book closer as Kevin reached for it. Helen smacked his hand, “Let Ben look.” 

“We’re didn’t just know each other, we were partners. Transporting high-end diplomatics along with trafficking high-level weapons. God, I’m the one who told him about Omnisoa,” Devin said trying not to laugh to at all the things that him and Max had, god their Magister had almost skinned them alive several times. 

“Really? Grandpa barely talks about his Plumber-days,” Ben said smiling happily, god, it took constant bugging to convince Grandpa Max to talk about the base at Rushmore. 

“Yeah, about three months before Kevin was born I changed districts. So, what is Tennyson up to now?” Devin took the book back and stood. 

“Oh, Grandpa Max is a Magister, and he’s reinstated the Earth-division for the Plumbers, and he’s currently training rookies somewhere in space,” Ben said stretching over Helen and Alan. 

“Try to lay on me and I’ll cut your hands off,” Kevin said simply.

Helen gasped, “Kevin!”

Ben laughed. 

“Um, not to interrupt but who or what is Omnisoa?” Alan asked, Manny, Helen, and Pierce froze, Kevin laughed, and Ben just stared, “Grandpa Max doesn’t like to talk about anything ‘off-world’.” 

Ben rolled his eyes, and Manny, Pierce, and Helen gasped again. 

“Let me tell it!” Helen said a second before Pierce and Manny started the sentence. 

“Legend tells-”

“Legends-” 

“Shut it. And as I was saying, legends say that the universe is created by an alien species, the Contemelia, who traveled, created, destroyed, and observed universes.-”

“Do you believe this?” Ben turned to Devin and Kevin. Devin nodded, while Kevin shrugged.

“ANYways, the Contemelia always left gifts for the universes the created leaving hints about this gifts in and out of the dimensions. Hints of the ultimate doomsday device, a device to create the universe in your hands, to control your universe, but the most selective, and powerful is: Omnisoa.”

“Omnisona,” Ben tried the word out.

“No. Omnisoa, and Omnisoa is the last Contemelia alive. The Contemelians left Omnisoa, and the made it so they blend in easily. Omnisoa would be able to bend and warp reality to their choosing not even a Celestialsapien could stand up against their power. To be Omnisoa would be the heir to the entire universe.” Helen was smiling, “Think about how cool it’d be to be Omnisoa.” 

“Almost as cool as being the user of the Omnitrix,” Pierce said standing up, “Besides didn’t you say if you ever saw the hero of the Universe, you’d bug him for an autograph.”

Helen gasped and jumped up, “Thanks!” She ran upstairs and appeared in front of Ben holding a notebook. She held it out for him, “Please?”

Ben shrugged and nodded, “Sure.”

Something felt off about the notebook, it was way too light to be a normal notebook. Opening it up Ben saw scrawled words written in blue, the writing definitely wasn’t Helen’s. It said a date, time and place just not for what.

“Oops, wrong notebook,” Helen said zooming away and back now with a thicker notebook. Ben grabbed the closest pen and quickly wrote his name. After Helen put it away, Angie said, “Well it’s too late for lunch, but we can have barbeque for an late/early dinner.”

Manny fistpumped the air, and unleashed a ‘yeah!’. Alan and Pierce made faces at each other, while Helen zoomed next to Angie, “Can I help, again?” 

“Of course dear,” Angie and Helen went back into the kitchen, probably to get the ingredients. Kevin smiled up at his dad, “Can I get the water stuff?” 

Alan shot up, “No! No water things! I mean it.” Kevin was already running upstairs with screaming Alan tailing behind him, “Manny, help me!” 

“Fine,” Manny raced after them to probably punch Kevin and not really help Alan. Devin left to put the scrapbook up. Ben and Pierce were alone, and now Ben really was scared. 

“Ben, can I talk to you outside?” Pierce said already walking away towards the back porch. Once they were outside Pierce turned sharply towards Ben.

“Ben, you said you work alongside the plumbers, right?” 

“Yeah,”

“Then how come when I search you, you don’t show up in the system,” Pierce pulled out a tablet and shoved it at Ben. The screen had a search bar entered with ‘Ben Tennyson; Omnitrix user; Twelve year-old’. ‘No results.’

Ben took the tablet and retyped the search bar, ‘Benjamin Kirby Tennyson’. As always the screen tooked the symbol of the Omnitrix expect red, and the words restricted access. Passing it back to Pierce he said, “Because of the omnitrix, the Magistrata thought it’d be important to know exactly which Ben and to know as much as about as this plus high level ranking.”

Pierce looked down at the screen, scowling, “I’ve never seen this screen before, _ Kirby _ .”

“Don’t tell Kevin,” Ben said smiling a little, Pierce laughed, “Okay, by the way, his is Ethan.”

“Kevin E. Levin,” Ben whispered, Pierce laughed harder and suddenly Helen was there staring. 

“I can’t believe it. Pierce is laughing, oh how they grow up,” Helen wiped away a fake tear. 

“Shut it, Helen,” Pierce cleared the search bar, and went back inside. 

“Wanna help with dinner?” Helen asked. Ben shrugged and nodded, “Why not?” 

As they went into the kitchen, Kevin came barreling down the stairs holding what Ben assumed were the ‘water stuff’. Alan was screaming as Manny would clearly got sick of Alan at some point just flipped him over his shoulders. Manny was laughing along with Pierce was on the couch. 

“Why don’t you just fly after him?” Ben asked and the entire scene froze in place. 

“Are-are you talking to me?” Alan said as Manny put him down, “Alan can fly?” 

“Well, I can when I use the omnitrix’s pyronite form,” Ben said simply. He learned how to fly and float with rocks pretty easily when it came to Heatblast. Sam’s head popped in, “Alan don’t even try it’s an advance move for combat and pyronites don’t let the young do it, so Ben shouldn’t either.”

Sam gave Ben a pointed stare, and Ben smiled shyly. After Sam left back into to his tech room, Ben help Angie and Helen take everything outside. Kevin and Devin were setting the small pool up, and the slip-n-slide. 

“So, how do you know Kevin?” Helen asked. Kevin completely froze in place and turned his head towards Ben and mouthed, ‘No.’

Pierce as if having special powers for sensing when Kevin was embarrassed came outside along with Alan and Manny. Alan hid behind Manny and glared Kevin, “Don’t even try it Levin.” 

“So?” Helen was in Ben’s face now, and Ben she would bug him if he didn’t tell her, but he could always do what he did when the kids bugged him about why he was absent, misdirect.

“Why not ask Kevin?” Ben said, shrugging and as Helen whipped around to Kevin who was turned back pretending that he wasn’t eavesdropping.  _ Such a liar _ , Ben thought to himself with a smirk. Helen was now on the ground next to Kevin making a face at him, even though she wasn’t in his face she was in his bubble. 

Kevin sighed and pointed to Ben, “Bug him not me.”

Ben of course dealt with this tons of times, “Kevin is older he has to.”

Kevin sent Ben a face, “Really?” 

“That’s how things go in my family,” Ben really wasn’t lying anytime Ben was late he asked them ‘why not Gwen?’. Then she sent them back to him and he said the since Gwen was older she had to answer them. She used the same excuse anytime she wanted tv or first dibs on something. She was older than him by three minutes, really it was hilarious to call her an old goat sometimes. 

“If you’re getting the water stuff, go change into to your swimsuits, and a t-shirt,” Sam interrupted, and shooed everyone inside. 

Alan was sitting at the table, knees to his chest, and glaring at Kevin filling up water balloons. Ben was sitting on the table smiling, “It’s not that bad.”

Alan sent Ben a glance, and turned to glare back at Kevin’s back. Helen was suddenly in front of them smiling, “What are we talking about?” 

“I need help to get payback on Kevin,” Alan said whispering to Helen, looking to see if Kevin was paying attention. 

“I’ll ask Pierce,” Helen whispered back, before zooming off.

“I’m not sure, but water doesn’t hurt you, right?” Ben said slipping into the chair next to Alan.

“No. I just don’t like getting wet,” Alan said before slinking into his crossed arms on the table, “Besides don’t you turn into a pyronite?”

“Yeah, but, the pain is incredibly numbed,” Ben lifted his white tee up to show a completely healed scar that went diagonally across his stomach, “I was a tetramand when I got this. The adrenaline and chemicals in the omnitrix made it seem like I stubbed my toe. When I timed out I couldn’t even breathe it hurt so bad.”

Ben dropped his shirt and noticed Kevin staring, “Wanna know something, Levin?” 

“Where’d ya get that?” Kevin said crossing his arms and leaning against the staircase. 

“Um,” it was five weeks after Kevin and Vilgax got locked in the Null Void; what the did they call themselves, “I was ten, and some villains teamed up to kill me and my family, the Negative Ten, I think?” 

Kevin looked shocked, guilty, and asked, “What did you do to beat them?” 

Ben smiled wide, “I ate Mount Rushmore.” 

Alan barked out a laugh, and Kevin looked doubtedly, “How’d ya do that?” 

“I turned into a Perk Gourmand,” Ben leaned the chair back on it’s legs. 

“A-a what?” Alan turned to Kevin who shrugged.

“A Perk Gourmand is a species that can digest anything, turn it into an energy spit that they use to attack. Murk Gourmands is the exact same species expect a different color and thought process. All Gourmands’ stomachs lead to a dimension which allows them to virtually eat everything in sight. Stop me anytime, Ben,” Pierce looked up from his tablet, which he was reading off all that information.

“Please, Ben. I’ll do anything,” Helen said resting her head against Ben, “Just make him stop.” 

Ben chuckled, and Pierce frowned, “Anyway Gourmands response to an attack on their planet is to eat it so the enemy can’t have it.”

“What?” Alan looked shocked, “You ate Mount Rushmore, so the villain team couldn’t have it.” 

“No,” Ben moved his arms, “I ate Mount Rushmore so I could expel the energy at the leader of the Negative Ten.” 

“Don’t ever say expel ever again,” Manny said as he came outside, “I don’t want to know what you’re talking about.” 

Manny sat down on the other side of Ben, “But, I would like to know about if you ever traveled off planet.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ben smiled, “I travel across the galaxy to ask the creator of the Omnitrix to help me.” 

“Help you with what?” Helen asked really close to his face.

“The Omnitrix was going to explode and destroy the galaxy,” Ben said moving his left arm so they could see the omnitrix, “and the adventure ended with me chucking Vilgax into outer space.” 

Kevin doubled over as started to laugh, “How?” 

“I turned into a To’kustar and just,” Ben motioned throwing something across the lawn. Kevin was struggling to hold himself up. 

“Who is Vligax?” Helen asked. Manny looked confused, and Pierce frowned staring at his tablet. 

Ben and Kevin laughed before both recited, “Vilgax; conqueror of ten planets, destroyer of five, ruler of Vilgaxia, and the most feared being in the galaxy.” Both them didn’t last long as Ben fell out of his chair laughing. Sam and Devin ran outside and froze at the sight of the two boys dying from laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” Sam stared.

Pierce shrugged, “All Helen asked is ‘who’s vilgax?”

Kevin laughed out, “Yeah he’s the centuries old conqueror who got his butt handed to him by a ten year-old.”

All eyes flocked to Ben, who was shaking in his silent laughter. 

“Can he breathe?” Alan asked as he moved over Ben. Ben’s eyes were shut tightly and taking in giant gulps of air. Ben nodded furiously, but it wasn’t taken as the truth since he could stop himself from snorting. Snorting; his worst enemy. 

Helen giggled at his snorting, and Angie said, “Alright. Stop crowding him, and help me cook or play with the water things. By the time Ben had calmed down Helen and Manny were teaming up against Pierce. Alan decide to help Angie and Kevin was floating in the mini pool. Ben checked the box and found a few water guns.  _ Nice _ , Ben thought as he grabbed the SplashMaster. 

Ben of course decided that attacking Pierce wasn’t a good thought and instead went for Kevin. Kevin flopped over onto his stomach into the pool. Ben openly laughed, mostly at the wet cat look Kevin has. Kevin growls and jumps to his feet to grab Ben. Ben is pulled into the pool and the two of them start a splash battle. Overcomed by the water Ben screams, “Helen help me!”

Helen leaves her water battle to help Ben. Manny and Pierce deciding that defeating Kevin is worth enough for a truce all three of them gang up on Kevin. Alan was laughing as he put the plates down on the table, Sam was rolling his eyes.

“Levin your kid is dying out here!” Devin was there almost instantly after the sentence left Sam. Devin stared for a second before he sighed, “Really, Sam?”

Sam laughed and went back inside. Angie rolled her eyes, “Alright leave Kevin alone. I’m gonna separate you into groups to do the water balloon fight.”

“Come on, Alan. It’s the only way to be fair,” Kevin said smirking. Alan glared at Kevin as he went down in the yard and stood next to Ben, “Please let me fight Kevin.” 

Ben chuckled, and whispered back, “I’ll be sure to go all out on him for ya.”

Alan fist-bumped Ben, and Angie coughed getting everyone’s attention. 

“Now, let’s do Manny, Alan, and Ben on this side and Helen, Pierce, and Kevin on this side,” Angie said before pointing at all of them who were grouped up, “Try to keep the water away from the grill while I barbeque the hamburgers.”

After getting on the right side; the fight began. It started with Helen, Pierce and Kevin winning but Manny’s extra arms became helpful. Helen ended up using her speed to grab all of the water balloons on Ben, Alan, and Manny’s side. 

“So we can use our alien powers, huh?” Ben brought his left arm in front of him, “Water Hazard!”

Ben just sprayed them with the water out of his hands, and was the fight was over. Ben reverted back to normal, and smiled at the other people on his team. 

“Nice going,” Manny fist-bumped Ben and Ben replied, “Hey you two probably did more than I did.” 

“Alright it’s time to eat so, everybody grab a towel and dry off,” Angie said gathering all the kids up. 

The hamburgers were eaten in less than fifteen with the kids split off into two different groups. Kevin and Ben were sitting applesauce style across from each other a few feet away from the others laughing. 

“Seriously, you guys aren’t a little bit curious about how they know each other?” Helen said, whispering. Alan shrugged. 

“I really don’t care, Helen,” Pierce said not even looking up from his book. Manny nodded, “Besides it’s not that that it really matters.”

Helen groaned, “It does matter. And why won’t they tell us if it didn’t matter?” Helen crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward, daring the boys to object. Pierce just sighed, “You can do whatever you want Helen. I’m gonna go inside.”

Helen stuck her tongue out at him, and said, “Fine, whatever. But don’t come complaining to us when you’re bored.” 

Pierce rolled his eyes, “Like I complain about things to you.” 

Helen, Alan, and Manny started to focus back at the topic this time. Manny spoke up, “Any ideas where, Helen?”

“Well, it had to be over two years ago, because Kevin was in the Null Void,” Helen put her fingers on her chin in the classic thinking pose, “But Ben got the omnitrix that same year, so he might have been training somewhere.” 

“So further back?” Alan asked looking down at the porch. 

“But Kevin ran away from home when he was like six,” Manny said hand in chin frowning, “And Ben probably wouldn’t remember that far back.” 

“So in between when Kevin ran away and when he got thrown in the Null Void,” Helen said. 

“How could Kevin and Ben have all those inside jokes,” Alan said groaning in his hands, “I’m getting a headache.” 

“So, does that mean that… they meet in the Null Void?” Manny said getting a headache like Alan.

“Okay, first, what would Ben have to do to get sent to the Null Void? Secondly, how could Ben get the omnitrix if he was in the Null Void?” Helen asked crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Maybe he got it before he was sent to the Null Void,” Alan suggested.

“And they let him keep it, no way,” Helen said shaking her head.

“Then how did they met, huh, if you’re so smart?” Manny asked rolling his eyes.

The entire conversation was cut off by the sound of laughing, “Shh, Kevin!” 

Kevin shook his head laughing, “Do you fucking hear this Ben? It’s hilarious.” 

Ben rolled his eyes, “And now they know we were eavesdropping.”

“Hey they were talking about us, so it seems fair,” Kevin shrugged, before Manny hit his arm.

“Ughh, just tell us how you two met,” Helen said making puppy eyes at the two. 

Ben poked Kevin, “You do it.” 

“Yeah, no,” Kevin said smiling. Helen groaned really loudly.

* * *

 

Ben went to bed a bit after that, but he couldn’t sleep no matter how tired today was for him. The other notebook that Helen had accidently gave him to sign was on his mind. The time written was in about an hour, but Ben had no idea where the address was. But the one thing that Ben did know was that it was in Kevin’s handwriting. Ben remembered from the graffiti in Kevin’s old train tunnel. 


	2. I'm Going to Laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so headcanons, Manny is half South-Korean, and Helen/Pierce's mom is native american. thanks

Kevin really hated leaving so early, and the fact that the entire house was full of light sleepers. The hardest part was passing the kitchen since that’s where the parents would hold their ‘secret’ meetings. Thankfully, tonight everyone was tired out by Ben’s arrival. Opening the screen door, Kevin sighed. 

“Hey,” Kevin jumped and stared at Ben sitting on the front steps, head in hands, and waiting at one in the morning. Ben smiled and said really softly, “the notebook Helen accidently gave me had your handwriting in it. Figure it’ll be something shady, no offense.” 

Kevin crossed his arms over his chest, “So, gonna go get my dad now?”

Ben laughed a little and shook his head, “No. I remember how you were two years ago Kevin. You don’t like authority, so I wanna come with you.” 

Kevin remembered Vulkanus, and all the people who had grudges against him, and all the people who Argit backstabbed. No way in hell was Kevin gonna let Ben tag along. 

“No way. Sorry Benji, but Argit is bad news,” Kevin started to go down the steps, but Ben tried to follow, “I told you, you can’t come.” 

“If this Argit is bad news, then why don’t you won’t the Omnitrix on  _ your _ side?” Ben stuck his hand up and the jacket fell just to expose the white new omnitrix. Kevin sighed, _ really Ben still had to have the last word. _

“Fine,” Kevin walked over to Ben, smirking, “but, we have change how you look first.”

Kevin made sure the jacket was going to stay over the Omnitrix, then moving as much as possible hair over Ben’s face, Kevin pulled the hoodie over. Okay, now Ben looked like he belonged in the alien black market scene. 

“Listen, no matter what happens, don’t use the omnitrix and don’t talk,” Kevin said trying to think of an explanation of why Ben would be there. Ben opened his mouth and Kevin put his finger on it. 

“What did I just say?”

Ben glared Kevin and Kevin took his finger away. Ben crossed his arm and Kevin started to walk away. God, this was going to be a mess.

* * *

 

Ben was unusually quiet as they walked into town. Kevin did tell him to not to talk. They were on the outskirts of town in the light of the gas station. The ‘OPEN 24 HOURS’ sign was starting to burn in Ben’s retinas. 

Kevin had walked to the side and hadn't come back yet. Shockingly Ben didn't feel the need to run and make sure nothing was going on.  _ Kevin said to act cool and not freak, stay in the front, and do not overreact to anything,  _ Ben repeated in his head. 

Kevin's head popped over to side and waved Ben over. Argit was smaller than Ben had anticipated and had longer spines. 

“Whose this, Levin?” Argit pointed to Ben and Ben thankfully didn't flinch.

“He's a nobody. Just give me what I'm after and we'll leave,” Kevin made the grabby motion with his fingers. Argit  _ tsked,  _ “You know better than that, Kevvy.”

Three vines shot out of the ground; two grabbing Kevin around the arms and the last one around Ben’s arms and torso. A Florauna wearing what Ben could only describe as hippie gear came from behind.

“You're going to destroy those  _ things  _ now right?” The Florauna shivered from what was in the bag Argit had.

“Yeah, yeah,” Argit stepped closer to Ben, “So who are you?” 

“No one to concern yourself with,” Ben kicked the bag out of Argit’s hand. The Florauna screamed and Ben was able to wiggle out of the grasp. Climbing up on the vine, Ben jumped and grabbed the bag in the air.

Kevin was able to tear his arms free of the vines, and land next to Ben. Absorbing the concrete on the ground Kevin growled out, “Bad move,  _ Argie _ .”

Argit decided the best option was to shoot off a handful of his spines, and run right after. Ben and Kevin had dodged easily, but when Kevin tried to run after Argit, Ben said, “Leave him be. We got what we came for?” 

The Florauna was paralyzed on the floor, all but his mouth, “You guys need to destroy those-those things! They're the worst technology in the cosmos. They are causing diseases in every planet and -” 

“What's in here?” Ben tried to open the bag but the Florauna screamed, “No don't! It'll kill you!”

“Shuddap,” Kevin interrupted. Kevin crossed his arms and said, “It's just things that too high level for Earth.” 

“Do you know how much environmental damage making those things cost?” 

“I said shuddap. You wanna get a slushie from the gas station before we leave?” Kevin asked not even looking at Ben.

“Yes. A hundred percent. Let's go,” Ben smiled at the way Kevin snorted.

“Slushies are just as bad-” 

“Shuddap,” Kevin and Ben said at the same time before sniggering.

The gas station was completely lit inside and outside. The cashier seemed to be a teenager with purple dyed hair, “How may I help you?” 

“Slushies,” Kevin answered immediately.

“Of course, it's the only one of the two things you ever get here Kevin. One for your little friend, too?” 

“Yeah,” Kevin rolled his eyes at the absurdity of the question. 

“Do you come here often?” Ben asked leaning against the counter as the girl made them each a red slushie.

“Like every other week,” Kevin said looking around the store again. 

“Your slushies are done,” the girl put the slushies on the counter, “you're total is five-thirty.”

Kevin dug out the money from his pockets, and said, “Keep the change.”

“Wow. Seventy cents.”

“Shut it.”

* * *

 

By the time they got home Devin and Sam were up, frowning with the arms crossed at the front door. 

Ben smiled innocently while Kevin said, “I have a perfectly normal explanation.” 

“Bed, both of you,” Sam pointed towards the stairs. A little after seven Devin had called both of them down to the kitchen table. 

“So, why were both of you out, last night?” 

“I got the thing I wanted from Argit and so I’m done talking to him,’ Kevin crossed his arms, okay so yes he was being mysterious about what it was but he wanted to surprise everyone. Ben had his hands running over each other, and was staring at the table.

“And you?” Sam asked raising his eyebrow at Ben.

Ben gulped, “Kevin and me-we were-are-we…,” Ben looked down again and quietly continued, “we used to be friends and he really didn't like rules, so I knew that if something bad happened it be better to be there.”

Devin sighed, “well, Ben is right about that. So, what exactly did you get Kevin?”

Kevin smiled, “I wanna surprise everyone after breakfast.”

Devin sighed, “Fine.”

It wasn't long before Angie had come down with Helen and told the boys to wake up the other three. Ben called Alan, while Kevin had to wake up Manny, and Pierce. Alan’s room looked almost like a hotel room, everything in good shape, and left in its place. Ben only glances at Manny’s and Pierce’s rooms. Manny’s was one of the dirtiest rooms Ben seen, and he’s seen Dr. Animo’s cell. Pierce’s room was somehow more clean than Ben’s and Ben was only there for a day.

Alan and Angie was both getting cereal from the cupboards. Helen was getting bowls, and spoons, while Sam was getting the milk. 

“What’s your favorite cereal?” Angie asked leaning over Ben. 

“Anything is good,” Ben said simply, he felt like he wasn’t helping out enough. Manny passed Ben the bowl. 

Ben said thank you to Manny, and he shrugged. The seating arrangement was the same as yesterday expect Pierce and Kevin changed seats. Ben kept his eye on the the bag just by Kevin’s feet.

Just after Alan put his bowl of cereal into the sink did Kevin grab the bag and smacked it onto the table. Helen and Alan jumped a little bit at the noise.

Ben flinched, but watched as Kevin smirk went to a full smile, “So who wants to know what is in this bag?” 

The adults, not counting Sam looked excited, while the kids looked nervous. So they definitely knew about how Kevin liked dangerous stuff.

“Well, wait no more-“ Kevin reached his hand down in the bag and yanked the object out. An ID mask. Usually Ben would let Kevin do whatever stupid thing he felt like, but seeing as how he was about to put it on his face, Ben grabbed.

“Ben, what the-“ Kevin still held onto as Ben brought it closer to his face, “please don’t tell me you believed that environmental activist dude.”

“Kevin,” Ben started lowering the ID mask alittle, “this ID mask hasn’t been cleaned. Which is a no-no.”

Kevin rolled his eyes, “I’m not five. So just give it to me so I can wash it the sink.” 

Ben completely ripped it out of Kevin’s hands, “No! The ID masks are dependent on technology, that’s like washing your iPhone 2 in the toilet.”

“Ew,” Helen commented.

“So what do we do?” Kevin made a ‘What now smart guy?’ gesture. Ben turned down towards his room, and whistled.

Ship came running down and stopped right at Ben’s feet. It spotted the technology in Ben’s hand and instantly began to whine for it. Like a dog whining for a bone.

Ben crouched and gave the ID mask to Ship to clean. As soon as the mask was clean, Ben slipped the mask over his face, and turned into Kevin.

“Look at me, Kevin! I think I’m so edgy-ahh!” Kevin tried to grab Ben but both of them tripped over Ship (who thankfully wasn’t hurt) tangling then on the ground.

“No. Way,” Helen said before she sped over the boys on the ground, “We can look human with these?”

“Yup,” Kevin said as he ripped the mask of Ben and stood up.

“But you should let Ship clean them first,” Ben said as he dusted off his shorts, “they’ll corrupt your brain. I mean, the brainwashing things in them but they’re turned off.”

Helen whipped to Devin, “Can we go into town?”

Manny and Alan, who were currently feeding the remaining ID masks to Ship, heads whipped up. Even Pierce seemed excited at this idea.

Sam and Angie both had a silent conversation in their heads, while Devin looked over the calendar, “Well, we can schedule today’s training to Saturday. How does that sound?” 

“Great!” Helen threw her hands up in her happiness.

Ben nodded, “I think everyone’s cool with that.”

Angie clapped her hands, “We do need more groceries.”

Devin nodded, “Kevin, Ben go change. Everyone else grab an ID mask.”

* * *

 

They owned two cars, the only one that could fight all the kids was a old big pickup truck. Sam had named the ‘Snail’, Ben took that to mean the speed. The truck was red, and the bed of it was large enough to hold all the kids, as they discovered that moment. Manny, Helen, and Alan was leaning against the glass of the truck. Pierce had the entire left side of the truck with his feet all spread out. Kevin had climbed over the tailgate instead of releasing it and helping Ben on. Ben huffed and heaved himself over the edge. 

Helen and Pierce looked, of course like siblings even if they didn’t have to. Both had tan skin, with shiny black hair that went past Pierce’s shoulders, and Helen’s mid-back. Pierce was wearing green cargo shorts with a million pockets, and a white tank top with the sides cut off. Helen was wearing stretchy shorts, flip-flops (she seemed to be fascinated with her feet), and a tye-dyed tank top. Helen’s eyes were green, while Pierce’s were blue (the same shade as a Kinceleran). 

Manny was Asian, and still kept his arms muscular. He was wearing a bright sports sweatshirt with gym shorts and tennis shoes. His eyes were brown, almost black, his hair was black with red tips (but the red seemed to bleach to a medium pink). Alan was wearing normal jean shorts, a normal basketball shirt, and normal tennis shoes. 

Angie who was still on the porch was wearing a yellow sundress, a big floppy hat, and sandals. Sam was wearing dark jeans, and jacket over his shirt. Devin had the typical cowboy jeans, and a tucked in shirt. 

Helen laughed, and Kevin rolled his eyes. The adults did not understand why the kids were laughing. Devin jumped behind the wheels, Sam squished in the middle, and Angie with her arm out the window. Devin smiled and said, “So Angie is going to get groceries, and the rest of us are going to explore?”

“Yup, Dad.” 

Devin nodded and started up the car.

* * *

 

Snail was almost out of gas, so just as they entered town the truck pulled into a gas station. The same gas station that Ben and Kevin fought in this morning. Ben realized,  _ this is the first time in a long while that we fought on the same side.  _

Ben looked over to Kevin who was watching the police inspect the holes in the concrete (Ben and Kevin both knew that is was the Florauna’s vines).  _ I wonder, did Kevin like fighting with me? _

“Wonder what they’re looking at?” Devin said. Ben realized that almost everyone was out of the truck, only him and Alan was left. 

“Who knows. Who cares,” Pierce said as he looked at the two left in the bed of the truck, “You two coming out or what?”

“Do we have to?” Ben faked whined and slumped over the edge. 

“Sorry but yes,” Sam said.

Ben groaned overdramatically and hopped over the side. Alan being the only good child, he put the tailgate down and climbed out. The gas station looked the exact same as this morning, maybe that was why Grandpa liked gas stations so much; they were timeless places with no being or consequences

“So, you three explore for a little while I get gas,” Devin said. He turn to point at Kevin and Ben, “and you two stay away from the police, understand?”

“Completely,” Kevin nodded.

“Absolutely,” Ben said. 

Devin turned back to the car.

* * *

 

“So, have you ever shot anyone?” Ben said as he leaned over the ‘strange’ holes with officer Miles. Officer Miles just laughed and shook his head, “No.”

“Have you ever fired your weapon?” Kevin asked officer Sampson who was waiting in the car. Officer Sampson answered, “maybe.”

Officer Sampson was on the force for twenty-five years and the fifth oldest member in Sweet Springs. Officer Miles was on the force for two years, and partnered with Sampson for one and half years. Sweet Springs was five miles out from the ‘Levin Family Farm’. No one knew anything about the farm expect that is was private property and they paid their land taxes.

Officer Sampson also wanted to label this as the old springs acting up again. The town got it’s name for the fact that they were surrounded by springs. Fresh water springs near the southwest of town, hot springs in the north and east areas of town, and saltwater springs in the northwest part of towns. Every few years the volcanic activity that created the springs would have small earthquakes.

Officer Miles on the other hand thought that the gas station, which was two miles away from the closest spring, was too far for any seismic activity. He also took notes about the strange way the holes looked. Bigger rocks piled around that hole, and the fact that it seemed that the holes form out from one bigger hole at the back. 

It seemed that Florauna was smart enough to retract his vines, wouldn’t want to be hunted by the plumbers would we? But it seemed like that Argit was stupider than the Florauna as he left several spikes of his. Sampson wrote them off as a porcupine wandering too close to civilization and bumping into the walls. Nevermind the fact that the spikes were slightly larger for a average adult porcupine.

“Ben! Kevin!,” both the boys tried not to laugh, “I thought I told you leave the officers alone!”

Devin has glaring the two boys down as he approached Officer Sampson, “Sorry, for them. I’m Devin.”

Officer Sampson stared at Devin for a long while before asking, “I don’t believe that I ever met you?”

“I’m the owner of the farm a few miles west, the one that is ten miles off the highway?” Devin raised his eyebrow and trained on Officer Sampson’s face for any emotion. Kevin recognized the tight grip of his dad’s hands. His dad was worried that something bad was going to happen. Kevin grabbed ahold of Ben’s arm and slipped closer to his dad. 

“I’ve heard of it. Strange how this is the first in the years that things been built that we see the owner. Even stranger how far from the road you are,” Officer Sampson le this eyes wander over to Snail. The kids were in the bed, and Angie was standing outside holding the door waiting for Devin’s signal.

“We just like out privacy,” Devin let his hands hold the boys’ heads and scooted them closer behind him, “besides it’s not like anyone ever came up to talk to us.” 

“Oh, you know small towns and rumor mills. Vampires and werewolves and all that,” Officer Sampson waved off the implications like they were for children. 

Officer Miles came out from the side, and stepped over the tape. 

“Guess you’re right. I can’t think of any reasonable thing for the weird shape of the holes, though.” Officer Miles suddenly noticed Devin and shook his head, “I’m might sorry about not seeing before all of this.” 

Officer Miles stuck his hand out, “I’m Officer James Miles. Just passing through.” 

“Actually this man owns the old farm out on 57,” Officer Sampson answered for Devin.

“Just got the rest of the house renovated. We can fully move out here now,” Devin easily lied through his teeth, “Why don’t you boys go back the truck and bug Manny for the candy we got you.” 

Ben looked at Kevin and did the one thing that normal kids did, “race ya.” 

“You’re on, Benji.” 

The run was exceptionally short, with Ben winning. Angie looked back at Devin and whispered to Kevin, “What’s going on?”

“The cops are talking to dad. The one with the sunglasses thinks dad is doing something illegal at home or something by the way that he’s asking the questions,” Everyone in the truck tried not to make it obvious that they were staring at the scene of the Osmosian talking to the police officers. 

What seemed like a tense eternity later, Devin turned and walked back to Snail. 

“Is everything okay, dad?” Kevin felt guilt rise in his chest, was it the holes from the Flourana or the fact that he was talking the police when his dad specifically told him not to?

“If they ever come up to our house, never answer the door. Understand?” Devin didn’t turn to look at anyone in the eye.

After some small nods and even smaller answers the truck was back out on the road towards Sweet Springs.

* * *

 

Sweet Springs had an uneven population of one thousand, one hundred, and twenty-five. This did include the inhabitants the Levin Family Farm. The town had a three family owned diners, the first was a Hispanic restaurant. Which none of the families had before. 

“Seriously? There was like five hispanic-actual hispanic not that Taco Bell pandering-on every block,” Ben practically screamed in the truck as everyone watched the scenery out the car. 

“Was it good?” Helen asked turning her head to look at Ben while they were talking.

“Depends. The one on 5th and Main always was in some kind of food violation. The one on Hill and Main had the best tacos. My favorite one was on Oak and Derby, they had steak, with salad, and shrimp, and-”

“What’s it called?” Pierce asked.

“Oh. It’s called-it’s called… I don’t remember,” Ben’s voice got really quiet before he realized that everyone was staring at him, “I haven’t been there since my birthday.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Manny ruffled Ben’s hair, “my favorite thing to eat was my dad’s homemade sundubu jjigae. But instead of shrimp he used lobster’s -God. The meat was so soft and warm as you gulped it down.”

“My favorite was your father’s kimchi stew, I can’t pronounce any of the words to save my life,” Angie turned through the little window in the truck that out looked into the bed. 

“Kimchi Jjigae,” Manny rolled his eyes, “and yeah, kimchi is always the best.”

The truck got quiet and everyone knew why. Helen went next, “I loved it when Grandpa made deer jerky. It always so chewy.”

“It was tough,” Pierce interjected.

“No. It wasn’t, you’re just weak,” Helen said from the opposite side of the bed.

“I liked your mom’s cinnamon rolls,” Sam stopped the fight from happening, “your mother could have gone to Peptos XII with her cooking skills.”

“My uncle made the best grilled shrimp, with lemon, and smoke embedded in the flavor,” Alan said playing with his hair.

There was an uncomfortable silence over the truck.

“I was five or so, and mom was cooking,” Kevin wasn’t looking at anyone, he was making a point of looking out the truck, “whatever she was cooking on the pot caught on fire. In a few minutes the whole kitchen was covered in smoke,” Kevin’s hand tightened on his shorts, “I stuck my hand out and absorbed the fire.”

No one continued. Ben felt a sick feeling rise in stomach at the way that Kevin was avoiding everyone looks, and was shaking. Ben couldn’t tell if from fear or anger. 

“How about that steak place for lunch, hmm?” Devin said from the front. His knuckles were white. 

Small yes’s came from the front, and even smaller from the back. The steak restaurant was named Bluebell. The restaurant could hold forty patrons at one time, in and outside the establishment. The seats were a black and white vinyl while the tables and wood floors were a dark mahogany. Four ceilings fans buzzed at the slowest speed possible. The building smelt of coals and beers. 

“How many in your party?” the hostess asked. Her outfit matched the seating in a checkerboard pattern. 

“Nine,” Devin said as he looked around the restaurant. The only other patrons were a middle aged man with a baseball cap, and a teenage girl whose table was filled up with textbooks, and study notes. 

“Right this way then,” the hostess led the party to the only table the curled around the corners, and had half the seats in the vinyl, the other half on uncomfortable wood seats.

Ben, Kevin, Alan, Helen, and Manny all squeezed onto the vinyl, while the adults and Pierce, who liked to pretend he was grown up, all sat in the wood seats. The hostess handed everyone a fold up menu, with a total of four sides. 

“Does anyone know what drink they’ll like?” the hostess got her notepad out and a pen from the uniform. 

“I’ll take a beer, whatever’s the cheapest,” Sam said as he looked over at Angie’s and Devin’s unified disappointing looks, “what? I can get tipsy for little.”

“Mountain Dew, please,” Ben said as he looked at the menu. 

“Pepsi,” Angie said as she flipped through the menu.

“Tea, no ice,” Devin smiled nicely at the host.

“Tea, but with ice,” Alan said putting his menu down and scooting it far away as possible.

“Dr. Pepper,” Manny leaned his head against his arm, and flipped through his menu bored.

“Water,” Pierce said. 

“Ugh, lemonade,” Helen rolled her eyes, Pierce was so good.

“Mountain Dew,” Kevin popped his knuckles and looked around the restaurant, why did it seem like something was wrong. The hostess smiled and left. 

“So, for appetizers, how about the blooming onion with sesame seed dip, and mozzarella sticks,” Devin said as he flipped through the menu looking at the prices. 

“What’s the blooming onion?” Alan asked as he looked over to Helen who usually knew everything he didn’t.

“Oh, it’s delicious,” Ben said, “they take an onion and cut like a flower, then butter, and bread, and fry it so it’s in the shape of a flower.”

“Sounds good to me, dad,” Kevin said as he looked out the window, something was definitely up.

* * *

 

After the meal, the group was walking towards the truck. 

“So, where do you wanna go, now?” Devin said as he slipped his card back into his wallet. 

“I saw bowling earlier!” Alan said raising his hand, “I think it opens at one pm.”

Sam checked his watch, “that gives us about a half hour or so.”

Ben hiked his leg over the tailgate, before putting his hand out for Helen. Once everyone was in the truck Devin said, “So, we drive til one, then bowl a few games.”

“We have to do teams once,” Helen said.

“And how do you think we should divide?” Pierce was frowning at his almost dead tablet. 

“Three teams of three,” Helen stuck her tongue out. 

“Who in what group,” Manny joined in on the teasing. 

“The Wheels in one group obviously. Manny and his mom, and, uh, Alan,” Helen crossed her arms, “so that leaves Devin, Kevin, and Ben in on team.”

Kevin laughed awkwardly, “last time we teamed it went badly.”

Ben punched Kevin’s arm, “No. It went awesome, up until the end of course. You kicked butt, not as much butt as me but close.”

Kevin leaned back and put his arms behind arms, “Every time we team up something bad happens. Just admit Benji.”

“Make me Levin,” Ben said before he looked away from everyone else.

“Ben is something wrong?” Alan asked.

“Everything’s fine, Alan.”

“Don’t lie Benji.”

“I’m fine, okay?” Ben said pointedly.

“Just leave Ben alone,” Sam said over his shoulder.

After driving they realized that there was one bar in town. There was a small water tower, and a state park, where most of the town got its money from. Finally at 12:50 p.m. the group decided to drive back to the bowling alley. The bowling alley had ten lanes with a small snack bar and the most colorful carpet in the entire world. 

“So, someone is going to have sit out the first time,” Devin said as everyone was putting their shoes on.

“I’ll sit out,” Ben said as he got comfy on the very uncomfortable chairs. After turning to the other adults, Devin nodded, “okay, but if you get bored, don’t wander off to far.”

Ben mutely nodded. The first set of games was Alan v Manny v Kevin v Helen, and Devin v Sam v Angie v Pierce, all who had the most colorful bowling balls Ben ever seen.

“Are you mad at me?” Kevin asked sitting next to Ben, Ben shrugged. 

Kevin sighed, “That’s not an answer, Benji.”

“Your turn,” Ben said.

Helen in Kevin’s seat as soon as he got up, “So, why you mad?”

Ben didn’t answer, “something.”

Helen growled, and hissed. 

“Move,” Kevin said as he got closer.

“You got up Kevin,” Helen said as she waved him away.

Kevin rolled his eyes as he sat across from them, “I’m gonna get you tell me Ben. Promise you that.”

Ben shrugged again.

Eventually everyone had to sit out once, then the group did the teams.

“So everyone goes three times, then we play rock, paper, scissors for the tenth frame,” Devin said to the whole group.

“Fine.” 

The Twelves (levin + tennyson = twelf, Ben didn’t get it but let Helen name them whatever he didn’t care) were last. The first team was the Wheels, then the Armbright (the armstrongs + albright = armbright, which did make Ben laugh because four arms and heatblast). 

“Are you going to tell me or am I going to keep bugging you about this?” Kevin asked as Ben patiently waited his turn to go after Alan. 

“Just-it’s whatever. Let’s drop it.”

“You’re upset. We are going to talk about,” Kevin moved in front of Ben so Ben couldn’t stand up. 

“Fine,” Ben crossed his arms, “I feel guilty about the subway, and the null void, and the stadium, and the mutation, and  _ everything _ . Happy?”

Ben pushed his way past Kevin and grabbed their white marble designed bowling ball. 

“Who said you had to feel guilty about that?” Kevin was following Ben to the lane. 

“No one. But that doesn’t change my feelings Kevin.”

“And I what I said in the car made it worse,” Kevin tried to grab Ben’s arm, Ben just shrugged him off. 

“I just wanna forget about Kevin okay?”

“Nothing is going to change if we don’t talk,” Kevin crossed his arms as Ben threw the ball down the lane. 

“You could hate me more,” Ben noticed that the others had left to the snack bar, leaving them alone to talk things out. 

“Yeah. Fat chance,” Kevin said. 

“You were my first friend. And you tried to kill me,” Ben let the whisper out. Like hell he was going to yell it in front of everyone in a public place.

“And you were mine. And I feel guilty about it.”

Ben gripped his arms, “I had nightmares, and I see realities where you do kill me, and laugh.”

“That’s not me,” Kevin scratched the back of his head, “I promise that’s not me.”

Ben squeezed his eyes, “I got kidnapped once by the Forever Knights,” Kevin never heard of them, he’d better ask his dad later, “and they put me in this mind-thing. My perfect day so I wouldn’t want to wake up.”

Kevin was about to say something after a beat of silence, “And you were there.” Ben said. 

“You and I played arcade games, and then we laughed, and I missed you.”

“Then when I tried to wake up the nightmares came back. You tried to kill me, but this time I would really die.” 

Kevin felt his throat tightened. Ben walked back to the seats, “and then Zs'Skayr happened.”

“The Ectonurite.”

“And you helped us, and I thought we could be friends again and then I let you back in the Null Void.”

Kevin sat next to Ben, “Ben, you did not let me go. I saw your face, you were holding with all your strength. Secondly, we can be friends now. Third, I met my dad again after I went back in so thank you for that.”

Ben laughed, it was a little wet,  _ he’s so close to crying _ , “you’re thanking me?”

“Yup, and no take backs.”

Ben laughed again, “Okay, okay.”

“Okay.”

After about six minutes the group came back.  Helen smiled, “we got you a smoothie, Ben.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

 

After they got done at the bowling alley (the armbrights won), the group went to the only chinese restaurant in town, Joyous Panda. The meal was large and quick with everyone laughing and joking alongside each other. 

“Uh, so quick question dad,” Kevin said, “what’s the forever knights?”

Sam almost choked on his drink, and Angie’s eyes went wide. 

“Well, the Forever Knights are kinda that anti-plumbers,” Devin explained as he moved his broccolli around in his plate. 

“They racist,” Ben said before he took a big slurp from his Mountain Dew. 

“Ben,” Angie said, slightly reprimanding.

“I’m not lying, In fact no one at this table would be able to join them,” Ben said. 

“And why not?” Manny said. Ben rolled his eyes before he pointed at everyone individually, “Half-Asian, Half-Black, girl, clearly alien, alien, alien, alien, delinquent.”

Alan choked on his water, “wait a minute. You’re serious?”

“Yeah. They were founded by this old king in like the thirteenth century so it’s hella racist,” Ben said, “I even rescued a dragon-alien from them.” 

“They’re sexist, too,” Helen said as she crossed her arms.

“What about you Benji?” Kevin asked leaning over the table, “Why can’t you join?”

Ben took a long drink, as the suspense grew, before he said, “Seeing as I beat the shit out of their leader and are on their most wanted list-actually I think the only wanted.”

Kevin started laughing, “god, Benji.” 

“Stop calling me Benji,” Ben said. 

“Nah, ya see friends  **tease** each other,” Kevin said. Ben face lit up ever so slightly. 

“Why are asking Kevin?” Devin asked.

“Heard about ‘em from Argit,” Kevin lied. 

Devin nodded, “and why didn’t you ask Argit?”

“Dad, you don’t ask criminals stuff.”

“Right, you ask your dad,” Helen joked.

“Yup,” Kevin said popping the p again.

“Ben I don’t think we’ve asked this but what you do at home?” Angie asked.

“Like at my house or my home town?” Ben tried to clarify.

“The second one,” Angie said.

“Well, there’s the skate park,”  _ where I’ll go alone _ , “and the pool, or beach,”  _ where I hate because of my scars _ , “the arcade,”  _ the adrenaline from playing sometimes gets me in a fighting mood _ , “and I play on junior soccer.” 

In fact, Ben hated about ninety% of the guys on the soccer team. The only two he could stand was Drey, the best runner they had so half the time Ben did have to do anything (since he was best as goalie, since contact triggered fighting in him, and the adrenaline made him hyper), and Garrett was the best blocker they had. 

“Maybe we can play sometime,” Helen said as she stole some crab rangoon from her brother. 

Devin suddenly froze up and looked his eyes on the door, “no one look. We are leaving early.”

“It is kinda late, maybe we can a movie marathon after training tomorrow,” Alan suggest trying to keep the mood jovial. 

“That’s a great idea, Alan, everyone gets to pick one movie,” Angie kept the conversation going which did calm them down a little.

As they crawled out the booth Ben realized that Officer Sampson was what spooked Devin off a little. Ben didn’t stare and didn’t point it out to anyone else. Kevin was joking with Manny about a video game.

“Hey, Ben,” Manny said, “Favorite video game?”

“Sumo Slammers,” Ben said as they stepped into the summer cool air. Since this town is incredibly small with about half the population being families going to bed at sundown, you could see the fireflies in town. 

“Wow,” Alan said and tried to catch one. 

“Come on Alan. You can catch some at home,” Pierce told him.

“The first time I saw a firefly was two years ago,” Ben said. 

“Really? Wow, I can’t imagine not seeing fireflies every year,” Alan said.

“I mean I grew up on an actual farm with corn crops and that.”

“Crop circles,” Manny jokes.

Devin checked his pockets, “shit.”

“What’s the matter, Devin?” Sam said from the truck.

“I left my wallet inside,” Devin ran his hand through hair. 

“I can go get it,” Ben volunteered. 

Devin sighed, “Alright, don’t talk to anyone.” 

Ben turned back. The waitress already saw that the wallet and happily gave it back to Ben. As Ben was leaving he felt someone grab his arm, turning he saw Officer Sampson. 

“Come with me,” he said.

“No,” Ben said and shockingly failed to yank his arm out of the officer’s grip. 

“You don’t have to stay, just tell me what’s going on in that house,” Officer Sampson said.  _ Is he even a cop? _

“Nothing,” Sampson’s hand tightened, “stop. You’re hurting me.”

“Benjamin Tennyson,” Ben froze.

“I never told you my last name,”  _ Did my parents come back, saw i was gone, and issued a missing person report? Am I on tv? Why does he know my name? _

“Ben!” Devin screamed as he ran over. 

“The storm is almost over,” Sampson reached his hand over Ben’s mouth.  _ What does that mean, you crazy! You’re crazier than Animo.  _

He turned to Devin, “You aren’t getting him back.” 

Devin growled, “Listen. I don’t want trouble, but I’m in charge of that boy, so give him back.”

Ben saw Sam leaning out the car, waiting for Devin’s signal. 

“Can’t do that.” Ben was shoved behind Sampson, Kevin stood up. By Ben’s best guess Angie told him to sit back down, and Kevin reluctantly did it. 

“Why?” Devin asked, when there was no answer he asked a different question, “Why do you need Ben?” 

“The storm must eradicated.” Devin’s entire body twitched, and Sam was suddenly there pulled left of the two men, Ben in his arms. Before Ben knew what was going on he was dumped in the back of the truck, and Sam ran back to get Devin. 

Ben didn’t even get to sit up before the truck reversed, and speed towards the farm. 

“Dad, what’s going on?” Kevin screamed over the wind. 

Devin didn’t turn from the road, not even over his shoulders. 

“The second we get home, go to the basement.”

“But-”

“Listen, I don’t care if you sneak out of the house every night, or break every single window in the house, or even run away to go back to your mom. Do this one damn thing for me Kevin.” 

“Okay,” Kevin whispered. Before anything else could happen, a blast from the sky shot at the back of the truck. The truck barely missed. 

“Goddammit,” Sam said. 

Angie turned to Devin, “what do you want us to do?” 

Devin gritted his teeth, “Angie the tires in the back, don’t throw unless you know you can make it.” Angie nodded and opened the door. Another blast came, one the driver side, and truck bounced a little. 

“Mom!” 

“I’m fine, Manny,” Angie crawled back into the bed of the truck and held one of the tires in her hand. 

“Me, Devin?” Sam said, scooting closer to the passenger door. 

“Go home, first the basement. Then the blasters. As soon as we are in the property, security system.” 

“Got it,” Sam ripped the ID mask off, and jumped out the car, before speeding past the car. A blast almost hit Sam, and Ben finally placed why the blast looked so familiar. An Aeropela was chasing them.

“Angie, I know what’s after us. If you can aim for the hind legs,” Ben said to her as the truck hit a road bump and they jump up a few inches in the air. Angie nodded. After the fourth attempt to hit the car Angie threw the first tire. She got a direct hit on the legs. The Aeropela was down for the count for a while. 

Just as the Aeropola dropped, an alien dropped from the trees and chase the truck. A huge white spider creature. 

“The fuck is that?” Kevin yelled.

“Language!” Devin screamed as he swerved from a blast from the front before speeding faster. Now two aliens were after them. Ben could only see the spider one.

“Ben, where do you think I should attack?” Angie said. 

“I don’t know,” Ben said, “I’ve never seen an alien like that.” 

Angie nodded, “the head then. I trick I’ve learned it’s never bad to aim for the head.” 

Angie threw the second tire and a red beam of energy hit the tire and exploded it into a million pieces. Ben felt the hot rubber hit his cheek, he knew this heat.  _ NRG.  _

“Five more minutes!” Devin screamed encouragingly. 

Ben stood up, and Angie grabbed him. 

“Let me transform! I can help!” 

“No! You are not fighting Benjamin!”

A new red beam tried to hit them, hit the one of the tires instead. 

“Crap!” Devin tried to keep the truck from swerving too much, “Hold on!” 

“We need to fight!” Ben screamed.

“Ben! We are almost home! Stay!” Angie screamed in his ear. The white spider tried to grab the truck and ending up ripping off the tailgate off. The kids screamed as Angie grabbed them and shoved them as close to the truck as possible. 

Devin was mumbling something, and the gate was so close in sight, suddenly Sam was running alongside the truck. 

“Give me two and then I’ll come back!” Sam screamed as he dodged the spider’s legs. 

“Take this one!” Angie screamed as she tossed Ben over the side. Sam easily caught Ben, “Give me Alan, now!”

Angie nodded and grabbed Alan before he knew what was going on. Suddenly Ben felt the ground of the basement, the door wasn’t really a door, but a  trapdoor situation with a hologram-ish opening. Ben grabbed Alan and tugged him over to the side, gladly just in time to miss Manny and Helen falling through. 

“Dad!” Helen screamed as she tried to get her dad back. It looks like she got what she wanted when Pierce and Kevin came screaming down the trapdoor. Three things were shoved down the trapdoor before it was closed. 

The silence was overwhelming after the chase and the semi-fight. 

“What should we do?” Alan asked.

“We stay quiet,” Kevin said in a small voice, “And we wait.”

“Bullcrap!” Helen whispered-screamed, “I’m not waiting while our parents are fighting strangers!”

Ben felt bile rise in his throat, _they’re after me._ _I ruined everything again._

“Listen, do you think I’m happy? But you’re right they are fighting and risking everything. They risked getting us here so we’d be safe. So we are going to wait two days like they taught us then, Pierce will hack the door, and we use the bags to get somewhere safe,” Kevin said. 

“Kevin’s right,” Pierce said, “they taught this stuff for a reason. Kevin and I will stay up tonight and everyone else can sleep.” 

Ben realized that he didn’t have his sleeping pills.  _ Looks like nightmares tonight, huh? Well we have a lot of material, better use it all at once. _ Ben thought cynically. 


	3. I'm Going to Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gets allies, and they get to Rushmore.

_ The sky was a strange red shade, with black and white clouds and the horizon was static like someone was shocking the air itself. The atmosphere was dark and wet; the world felt thick and heavy on Ben’s arms. The mustard yellow asteroids floated in the strangest shapes, and Ben’s shoes were covered in the same shade of yellow dust.  _

_ Ben’s hands dug into his shorts and he couldn’t stop looking around in a big circle, he knew this was a dream, but nothing and everything was familiar. It was on his tongue where he was. Where they were. All he could hear was Angie screaming about -was it what she said on the truck about not fighting -no it was about not telling.  _

_ “TELLING WHAT?” Ben screamed. If he just tried hard enough he could find her, he could, if Gwen could, then so could he.  _

_ about omnisoa. _

_ The voice shocked Ben and whirled around but no one was there. It wasn’t Sam, Sam wasn’t asleep, he couldn’t find Sam. Devin was too fanatic -upset, restless sleep.  _

_ “Who's there?” _

_ it’s all your fault. _

_ Ben kept turning, “Talk to me, please! I can help!” _

_ like you helped reiny? like you helped albedo? like you helped devin, and sam, and angie? like you helped me? _

_ Ben finally saw someone. Kevin. Kevin wasn’t moving, “Like you helped me at Zs’Skayr?” _

_ Ben knew this was a nightmare, but the comment made him him flinch, “Kevin. You need to leave so I can find Devin and Angie.” _

_ Kevin tilted his head up further and Ben could see it beginning. The way his skin changed to maroon, and his eyes changed to bright yellow. Ben realized he was trying to run away, I have to find Angie. I have to find Devin. I have to find Sam. I have to find James. I have to find Yilg, I have to find Max.  _

_ Ben froze. Grandpa couldn’t be here. But no, his nightmare’s were never wrong, Grandpa Max was here in the -in the -where was he? _

_ Kevin grabbed Ben by his shirt. Kevin was going on and on about -about -about  _

“The Null Void!” Ben screamed and tightened his hands on the blanket. Pierce flinched and whipped his spines out. Kevin was standing instantly, “Ben? What’s wrong?” 

“Light,” Ben said and reached out for something to light the area around him. 

“Here,” Alan said, lighting his hand on fire, and the small flames showed that everyone was awake. Judging by everyone’s faces, Ben and Manny were the only two who actually fell asleep. Pierce checked his tablet which was in one of the bags that Sam dropped last night.

“It’s two in the morning,” Pierce spoke up. Manny groaned and laid back down. 

“What happened?” Kevin was closer to Ben and Ben grabbed his face, “Ben!”

The others quickly got up to see what’s going on.

“No yellow eyes,” Ben said. Kevin understood, and nodded.

“No red skin,” Kevin nodded again. 

“No electricity,” Kevin smiled, “Never.” 

Ben closed his eyes and said something that Kevin didn’t quite get, “Galvan Prime.” 

“Huh?” Pierce said, getting closer to Ben. 

“What does Galvan Prime have to do with anything?” Helen asked squishing closer along with everyone else.

“And Kevin never had yellow eyes or red skin,” Alan said. 

“Not like he can rock that look like me,” Manny said, smirking a tiniest bit. 

Ben suddenly scooted them away, “I need to go back to sleep!” 

“Your sleeping pills,” Kevin whispered and suddenly everyone was grabbing him.

“I don’t need them!”

“Ben, you just woke up from a nightmare,” Kevin grabbed Ben, “Where are they?”

Ben pointed up, “In there.”

Pierce groaned, while Helen squinted, “maybe I could run…”

Pierce shook his head, “it’s locked for forty-eight hours.”

“And long have we been down here?” Alan asked.

“We came down a little after eight, and it’s two. So, roughly six hours,” Pierce did the math. 

“Why do you need to go back to sleep?” Kevin said grabbing Ben trying to stop him from re-making his sleeping pallet. 

“I was there. With them, kinda,” Ben grabbed his pillow and fluffed it. 

“What?” Helen grabbed his shoulders, “What happened?” 

“What was going on?” Alan asked squishing as close as possible.

“Is everyone okay?” Pierce on Helen’s other side. 

“Where are they?” Manny asked. 

“I-I was close to them, right outside the door,” Ben flattened himself against the wall, and Kevin somewhat yelled, “Give him space!”

Everyone reluctantly scooted away so Ben could breathe. Bringing his knees to his chest and staring down at the floor Ben continued, “We were in the Null Void. They were at some building, a-a big building. Sam wasn’t asleep or wasn’t almost asleep like Angie. I heard her voice, -”

“What did she say?” Manny was close again. 

“She was screaming, screaming about…” Ben squished his eyebrows. 

“Well?” Manny asked agitated. 

“A-about Omnisoa. Not telling about Omnisoa. I… it was either not telling or not fighting but it was so hard. To hear her and not think about the future,” Ben screwed his eyes shut. 

Alan rubbed Ben’s back. Ben spoke up, “If -if I touch something of theirs and try really really hard, I can see an-and I’ll be able to know where they are.”

Helen stood up, “come on Alan. Help me find something.”

Everyone got up and started searching for any possession of the adults. 

“What else?” Kevin said staring at Ben. Ben looked away, “I don’t know. It’s hard to think about. Especially after it’s over.”

Kevin stared at Ben, and he knew that Ben was hiding something, about the Null Void. It was different. 

“Found something!” Pierce yelled, and held a band t-shirt. 

“It’s Dad’s,” Helen said as Pierce handed it to Ben. Ben held the shirt out and saw that the logo was too faded to recognize the band. Ben nodded, “It’s perfect.”

Ben got underneath the covers again, and gripped the t-shirt and thought about everything he knew about Sam, memories, feelings. It didn’t take long for his breathing to even out. 

_ The room was painstakingly white. It was clean and sterilized, and there was three monitors on the opposite wall. Ben looked and saw Sam. Sam was tied down with a old man leaning over him.  _

_ “Where is Omnisoa?” The old man yelled. _

_ Sam gritted his teeth, “Go to hell.” _

_ The old man reached over and pressed a button on the wall, and blue electricity wrapped around Sam. Ben screamed, but held the t-shirt tighter. No, I’m going to stay, and figure out where to go. Sam head whipped and was staring at Ben.  _

_ “What are you looking at?” The old man whispered looked in Ben’s area. _

_ Sam turned his head away, “Nothing.” _

_ The old man tsked, “Don’t lie to me Sammy. We use to train together remember?” _

_ “I remember you being a bastard then, and a bastard now.”  _

_ The old man pressed the button again, and Ben broke out a sob, tears going down his face.  _

_ “STOP!” Sam yelled, and he let go of the button.  _

_ “You’re going soft, Sammy. It use to take hours to get you to say a syllable.” _

_ Ben knew why he stopped, because Ben felt what Sam was feeling. The old man walked to the monitors. The farthest right had Angie, Devin and a Pryonite is cell together their arms tied above their heads. They were hanging, Angie was covered in slashes, and the Pryonite’s light was almost dead. Devin looked ragged.  _

_ The farthest left had plumbers, wearing the newest set of uniforms all torn up and scratched. The camera’s main focus was an old man wearing a magister uniform, and a cut on his forehead. Grandpa Max. The middle one was the one that the old man stopped at. It was footage of Pierce and Helen in their ID masks. They were at the Bowling Alley.  _

_ “Now, how about something easier? Who are they?”  _

_ Sam leaned his head back on the pillow glued to the adjustable bed. A torture bed by the things around them.  _

_ “Just give me an answer.” _

_ “You already know.”  _

_ The old man smiled, it was cruel and evil, “So? Call it a test of trust, answer correctly and I’ll let one live. Answer wrong and I’ll kill all three of you.”  _

_ Sam turned from the monitors, opposite of Ben, and didn’t answer. The old man tsked, “Sammy.” _

_ No response. _

_ “Fine,” The old man grabbed a blaster and turned the red numbing knife end on. The only thing was it was green. Ben never saw one green before. The knife went into Sam’s elbow.  _

Ben screamed and the first thing he felt was the blood pooling in his elbow. A plumber’s knife was to numb, not to cut skin. Ben was crying and he noticed that everyone around him was frozen. 

Pierce was holding Kevin, and everyone was gathered around them like they were about to fight each other. 

“Ben!” Kevin broke free of everyone’s shocked grasp, and grabbed his bleeding elbow.

“What happened?” Pierce asked, unlike everyone else, stayed where he was standing. 

Helen re-grabbed his arm with the first aid in her hand. Manny and Alan was watching Ben and Kevin carefully. 

“Someone- he- I don’t-” 

“Ben,” Kevin slipped his hands on Ben’s head as Ship watched carefully, “focus.”

Ben nodded a few times, took a few huge breathes, then spoke up, “A guy had Sam strapped down to a table, and he was asking about information.”

“Omnisoa,” Pierce stated. 

Ben nodded, and refocused on the ground, “The guy had tv screens, one of the others, and the plumbers they took from space. The, uh, third one, had Helen and Pierce, in the bowling alley. The old guy said that he’d kill both of you and Sam if Sam lied to him.” 

“My dad wouldn’t betray them,” Pierce said taking a step forward. 

“Ben didn’t say that,” Kevin stood up and got closer to Pierce, “Don’t be trying to start a fight.”

Pierce eyes narrowed, “Says the guy who only likes fighting, and nothing else.”

“That’s not true.” 

“It is! You don’t care about anything expect having a fun time. If you cared about your dad, you-Agh!”

Kevin lunged at Pierce and everyone but Ben was up in a flash. 

“Knock it off, Kevin!”

“It was Pierce’s fault. He kept pushing Kevin.”

“No! It was Kevin who stood up.”

“Cuz’ Pierce was gonna fight Ben.” 

Ben stood up and walked to the basement’s monitor. 

“You are so going to eat it, Levin!”

“At least I’m not lying.” 

“I’m not lying! You’re the one that thinks that Kevin is the one who start the fight”

“Because he-”

Ben crawled on top of the console. 

“It’s Pierce’s-”

“You must-”

“Get off-”

“It’s all you-”

“SHUT UP!” Ben screamed. Alan, Helen, and Manny took a few steps away from each other’s faces. Pierce and Kevin stopped rolling around on the floor. The blood from the strange green plumber’s knife was rolling down his arm. Kevin was up, “Ben you need to lay down and let someone bandage that cut.”

“Not until you all shut and let me finish!” Ben took a step back on the console, Kevin could still grab him though. 

No one said anything, so Ben nodded to himself and continued, “Sam said nothing, so he could still say that he didn’t betray anyone. Then the old guy stabbed him, and I woke up.”

Ben jumped down, “If we are gonna rescue them, we need to work together.”

“And how come you’re the leader?” Pierce crossed his arms. 

“Hmm, has anyone here stopped an planetary alien invasion that plumbers labeled a level six mission? Has anyone traveled off planet into another dimension and not for breaking the law? Who here has saved the universe multiple times?” Ben walked towards his bag and dug through it. 

“Also,” Ben whipped around holding a white device with a red spot, “who’s the only actual plumber here?”

Pierce glared the badge before nodding, “Okay. You can be the leader.”

Ben nodded, “Here’s the plan.”

“You already have a plan?” Alan asked taking a step closer to Ben. 

Ben nodded, “I need to leave and get a few people to help.”

“Can we trust them?” Manny asked with his arms crossed.

Ben nodded again, and a sarcastic eye-roll, “There my family. A long, long generation of Plumbers. We can definitely trust them. Now, anymore questions before I continue?”

Everyone shook their heads. Ben nodded to himself, “Good. Pierce, I need you to find a way out of the basement. Even if it’s just getting the lock off. But we need to leave as soon as possible. Manny, Helen, Alan, I need you three to think of all the equipment on the farm. Blasters, tablets, projectors, we need them all with us.”

“And me, boss?” Kevin teased. 

Ben pointed to Kevin, “You are going to let me sleep. Nightmares or not I need to figure things out.”

Kevin nodded, and shrugged, “Seems easy enough.” 

“-And if I even see your hand anywhere near the omnitrix, I will lock you up in the highest plumber prison.” 

Kevin didn’t move. 

“I mean it, Kevin. No Electricity.”

Kevin shrugged, “fine.” 

Ben was back in his sleeping bag. Pierce was typing as fast as he possibly could. Helen, Alan, and Manny was going over the list of everything that could be classified as a weapon in the house. Kevin was watching Ship rise and fall on Ben’s side. It was numbly quiet on this side of the room. 

Everyone lumped to the other side trying to let Ben sleep. Kevin hated the fact that he did think of grabbing the omnitrix if anything went bad. He thought about in the truck, and every second after. Ben’s brown hair fell over his forehead and grabbed his blankets tightly, bringing them closer to his face. The newly soaked bandages were still visible. 

Kevin could only think about how the blood had moved faster than he even thought it was possible. Ben slowly opened his eyes, before turning around and curling into a smaller ball. It would be perfect to grab the Omnitrix and absorb it. Ben wouldn’t even wake up, but no. Ben needed him to stay as Kevin, and so did everyone else. 

Pierce let a curse word slip from his mouth and Kevin didn’t have the energy to tease him about it.

Ben woke up fully a few hours later at eight a.m. Pierce was smiling over him, “So, I got the basement doors to open, and Helen has a list.”

Ben nodded and stretched, “Alright. Pierce you think you can start looking for buildings in the Null Void. Like, huge buildings.” 

Pierce nodded and walked back to the computer. Helen, and Manny was looking over the list while both held a backpack. The final backpack - Ben’s backpack was in Kevin’s hand. 

“You okay?” Kevin said looking all over Ben like the dreams would cause injuries like before.

Ben nodded, stood up, and reached out for his backpack, “So the plan is while I’m gone getting everyone else we need to help us, because more is always better.”

“False,” Pierce spoke up. 

“Everyone but Pierce needs to look for weapons or a way to get to the Null Void.”

By the time that everyone got outside it was sunny, and quite windy. They knew this because the second they stepped out, they realized that who ever attacked them last night had burnt the house down. 

Helen let out a tiny whimper, as Ben felt his stomach go to his feet. Manny growled. 

“They’re going to pay for this,” Kevin said as he kicked a burnt plank. 

Ben nodded, “So, I’ll be gone for a few hours or so. Alan?”

Alan’s head snapped up, “Yeah?”

“Can you try and find us some food?” Ben gestured to the house, “I’d thought…”

Alan nodded. 

Ben and Kevin as walking down to the highway. The trees weren’t even touched. 

“It’s like someone didn’t want anyone to see the fire, so they controlled it,” Ben said tightening his grip on his backpack. 

“Yeah. Great,” Kevin said. 

“Are you mad at me or something?” Ben said stopping and turning to look at Kevin.

“No. Not really. Just-” Kevin cut himself off. 

“Just what?” Ben continued walking side by side with Kevin. 

“Just everything! My house is burnt down. Some weirdo’s kidnapped my dad. My only friends hate me.” Kevin waved his arms in a big circle.

“I don’t hate you,” Ben said and kept along the road, looking down. 

Kevin sighed, “Yeah, but I’ve lived with Pierce and them for almost one and a half and they still hate me.”

Ben shook his head, “They don’t hate you. It just everything’s getting to everyone.”

“How come you’re so calm, then?”

“I’m not. I’m just sleep deprived,” Ben teased Kevin. Bumping shoulders with Kevin Ben continued, “Besides, this is like a daily occurence. Being kidnapped, tortured, fighting, hating myself.”

Suddenly Kevin hit Ben in the shoulder, “You? Yeah, right. You’re more narcissistic than the guy the word invented after.”

“Wow. Kevin knows a big word,” Ben squished himself against Kevin again, “I don’t know what more shocking that you’re calling me narcissistic or that you don’t think I see that smile.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. And Ben stopped again. 

“This is fine enough,” Ben dropped his backpack, and started to fiddle with the omnitrix. 

“So, what are you doing exactly,” Kevin asked in a bored, statement way.

“XLR8 is the fastest alien I have. Sometimes when I’m wearing something as I transform and the clothing get’s all teared up,” Ben smiled as he found XLR8, and nodded to himself. 

“So, you’re gonna run to all your cousins,” Kevin said. 

“Yup,” Ben slammed the omnitrix down. The blue lizard-esque alien swished his tail once, clapped his strange claws together, and slammed his mask down. And then took off as fast as possible. 

Usually Ben, would go at a moderate pace for XLR8 and everything was fast enough. But he was in the edge of California, and his first stop was in Paris, France. He pumped his legs, and arms as fast a possible. His muscles were burning and he was heavily breathing. In about five minutes he was over the Atlantic Ocean. The water against his wheel feet was cooling the smoke that almost started on the concrete. The spray and waves that he created as he ran was strange to everyone around him. 

A dock was right in front of him, well a few hundred miles infront of him which was closing in on him fast. Jumping on so fast that no one noticed the blue blur, Ben skidded a few miles to a stop. Breathing heavily he tried to get his surroundings. 

Crap, he was in England. Ben turned to what he assumed was a family, “So if I just go south, I’d get to France, right?”

The family mutely nodded. Ben whipped around and sped off. Moving through houses and buildings had to use quick-pace thinking. Soon he was back near the water, but only a minute on the water, he was back on land. 

There was a small farm and Ben stopped by the front door, a little girl with big curly red hair was staring at Ben. 

“Not to interrupt anything, but which way is Paris?” Ben asked politely. The little girl pointed, and Ben nodded, “Thank you.”

Ben realized he probably had ten minutes on average to find Gwen and family before his watch timed out. Ten minutes to search all of Paris? Maybe XLR8 was a really smart choice. 

In the first five minutes he got the north part of Paris searched. He was near the Eiffel Tower when the watch beeped. 

“Seriously? I should have more time,” Ben said just as he transformed. Ben was still going at about a hundred and sixty mph, and hit the ground once, before bouncing into the pool near the Eiffel Tower. 

Swimming back up, Ben groaned. There were about a million tourist staring at Ben. A kid who just appeared out of nowhere just to dive in the water. Ben climbed out, and tried to breathe to calm down. XLR8 always got his adrenaline running badly. 

Looking up Ben thought of the time, and instantly knew where Gwen would be. Paris had a entire street full of the most famous restaurants, along with everything fancy they also held brunch, on perfect days like today. Ben was still dripping wet as he walked through the streets and glanced in the restaurants. 

He must look like a mess. Covered in water, a bandage on one arm, the other covered with a huge scrape from the ground, a ratty old backpack on his back as he walked around restaurants leering in. A few people already gave him a few dollars, or whatever they used in Paris. Right now, he need to find Gwen. 

“Dork?”

Ben whirled around to Gwen in a brand new blue dress standing next to a worried Ken. Ken’s eyes went wide to see his youngest family member in Paris, “How did you get here?”

Ben ran up to Gwen and engulfed in a very wet hug, “Thank god! I’ve been looking for you!”

“Ben, stop! You’re all wet, and are you bleeding?” Gwen said grabbing his arm.

“Nah, It’s a scrap,” Ben said waving her off with his free hand. The bounce after de-transforming had scraped half of his body, his open arm, and face got the worse of the damage, but the scar on his chest showed that he’d survived worst. 

“This is a scrap?” Gwen said holding up the bandage arm, that the bandages came loose and free blood roam down his elbow, and dribbled down to the ground. 

“Oh, that,” Ben said, “just a little accident, but-”

“Ben?” A woman said looking over Ben. 

“Hi, Aunt Natalie. Gwen as I was sayi-”

“What happened?” Natalie knelt down, and grabbed Ben and turned him to face her. 

“Just an alien thing. Gwen I -”

“Just an alien thing? You’re bleed-”

“It’s nothing!” Ben snapped before turning back to Gwen, “Grandpa’s been kidnapped and I need your help!”

“What?” Gwen said, grabbing Ben by the shoulders, “What happened? He’s supposed to be in space!”

“I know! Some weirdos kidnapped a bunch of people and took them to Null Void, because they’re-” Ben cut himself off when he realized that Ken and Natalie were still there. 

“Ben?” Gwen grabbed her cousin’s face.

“They’re looking for Omnisoa,” Ben whispered. Gwen eyes hardened, before she nodded. 

“Mom, I need to go with Ben,” Gwen said turning to her mother as Ben digged in his bag. 

“Why? What’s going on dear?”

“Mom. I promise this a big deal,” Gwen grabbed both of her mother’s hands, and kissed them, “I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.”

Natalie still looked worried, and held Gwen’s hands tighter, “Okay. Just… be safe.”

Gwen nodded and turned just to see Ben pull the hoverboard out of his backpack.

“Seriously? Why can’t we use XLR8?” Gwen asked, groaning.

Ben wordlessly held up the red omnitrix, and Gwen nodded. Ben turned on the hoverboard, and dropped it so it could balance out. Ben jumped on, and went lower so Gwen could jump on. 

“So, where we going, dork?” Gwen said jumping on it behind Ben. 

“What’s closer northern Japan or northern Australia?” Ben asked, starting to speed between tourists. 

“Seriously? We’re gonna bring them along?” Gwen groaned as she wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck. 

“The people who have Grandpa are bad news, Gwen. We need everyone we can think of,” Ben answered.

“You’re not gonna take Alien X out are you?” Gwen said squeezing her arms slightly, “Because I’ll tell Grandpa the second we see him that you thought about it.”

“Just answer which one’s closer,” Ben said. 

Gwen sighed, “I’d rather see Cooper before Lucy.”

Ben nodded, “Australia, then.”

The heat in Australia was unbearable in Ben’s opinion, thankfully it wasn’t noon yet, but every second closer to noon resulted in hotter air. The worse thing was that the wind was still, letting them travel through hot stuffy air.

The house that Cooper’s grandpa rented for the summer was kinda huge with a kinda huge pool. Stopping by the pool Gwen spoke up, “Is Cooper here?”

Cooper’s grandpa, named Thomas lifted an eyebrow up, “And what do you want with Cooper?”

Ben rolled his eyes, “We don’t have time for this.”

Ben turned to the house and screamed, “Cooper! Gwen’s here!”

“Ben!” Gwen hissed at her cousin. 

It took a few minutes before a sleepy Cooper appeared in the door. Rubbing his eye, “What you guys doing here?”

Ben hopped off the hoverboard which resulted in Gwen falling off. 

“We need your help. Someone kidnapped Grandpa Max!” Ben said getting closer to Cooper.

“How am I supposed to help?” Cooper asked taking a step back. Knowing Ben, he’d grab and kidnap Cooper for help. 

“We might need some tech support, and you are the best tech-dude ever!” Ben gestured to Cooper, “Besides don’t you like hanging out with us?”

“I like watching tv, and drinking smoothies. Not dealing with psychopaths!” Cooper said raising his hands up.

Ben sighed, “Cooper, you’re the only person who can help us with the tech junk.” 

Gwen and Ben looked miserable, especially Ben bleeding and scraped up. Sighing Cooper nodded. Ben pumped his fist in the air.

“You’re the best Cooper,” Ben said before noticing that the watch just turned green, “So, Cooper you’ll get on the hoverboard with Gwen, and I’ll meet you in Japan.”

Fiddling with the watch, Ben slammed down, and was again XLR8, talking to watch Ben said, “You’re gonna be real trouble later, aren’t you?”

Speeding off, it left Cooper and Gwen alone. Thomas spoke up, “So you’re friends with our Cooper?”

“She’s real pretty, Coops,” an unknown relative spoke up.

Blushing Gwen grabbed Cooper, “C’mon, we gotta catch with Ben!”

“Bye! I’ll be back really soon!” Cooper yelled waving with his free hand. The rest of his family waving back, calling out goodbyes. 

Lucy flipped onto her hands, and kicked the blaster out of the robot’s hands. The bitter cold of the snowy mountains in Japan, had basically made her powers so so so hard to use. But this was why she was sent out here, to learn more hand-to-hand, and rely less on her powers. Her instructor, Mr. Patilay clapped, and said, “Great job, Lucy. Next time try to use your hands to knock -”

Suddenly there was a Kineceleran right in front of Lucy, “Lucy! I-”

Lucy kicked her leg up, and aimed for the head. The Kineceleran ducked, “Luce, listen to-”

Lucy punched the chest, and holding his stomach for a quick second, the Kineceleran dropped his mask. Running behind her, her did a quick punch to her back that sent her face down on the rock.

“Are you gonna listen to me now? Or-” Lucy jumped back up and tried to give him a black eye. Leaning back so he was almost flat, the Kineceleran used his tail the trip Lucy. 

Lucy growled and turned into her true form as a Sludgepuppy. The purple glop soon engulfed the Kineceleran’s wheels. Raising him up by the feet so he was dangling, “What do you want?”

The watch beeped red, and suddenly it was Ben who had his arms crossed, “Wow. What a way to treat your favorite cousin.”

“Ben!” Lucy said dropping him, and going back into her humanoid form. As soon as Ben stood up, he was in a gigantic hug. 

“Oh, I’ve missed you and Gwennie so much! How are things where it’s not freezing my sludge off?” Lucy pulled back and finally noticed her cousin’s beat up body. 

“Who did this to you?” Grabbing his arm, Lucy looked closer, “Just tell me and I’ll destroy them. I swear. No one messes with my family.”

“Lucy give me a minute to explain, and  _ please  _ let go,” Ben hissed out in slight pain. Reluctantly, Lucy let go of Ben’s arm. 

“I was XLR8, and I de-transformed going too fast, and scraped myself. The bandage is because someone dream-stabbed me. But the reason-”

“You idiot! What if you died! You are so sludge-grounded when I’m less cold!” Lucy interrupted grabbing Ben by the upper arms. Shaking him Lucy continued, “Gwen would be so upset, and Grandpa Max would kill you again for dying!”

“That’s why I’m here. Someone kidnapped Grandpa Max!” Ben finally got to explain. 

“What!?” Lucy said dropping her cousin on the ground, “Well, what are we waiting for?”

“Gwen is coming with Cooper on my hoverboard here,” Ben said from the ground. 

“Cooper’s the little blonde with a crush on Gwen, right?” Lucy asked over Ben. Ben nodded. 

Twenty minutes later Gwen came with a very scared Cooper. Lucy smiled, “Hey, Cousin! Hey, Cooper. You feeling alright?” 

Cooper dramatically groaned before falling off and laying down on the ground. Gwen looked at Ben, “Did you change the controls on this thing?”

“No. It’s just sometimes hard to control. Hey, Lucy,” Ben turning to Lucy, who was over Cooper’s groaning body. 

“Yeah?” 

“So, don’t take this the wrong way or anything. But my hoverboard is too small for all four of us at our normal sizes,” Ben explained looking at his watch which recharged faster than normal.

“Oh,” Lucy nodded, “I get it. Glavan sound good to you?”

“That’s sounds great,” Ben said as Lucy began to shrink, “I won’t have to stay like this for long right? All that sludge in a small package tends to hurt.”

Ben shook his head as he choose a new alien, “No. Only an hour or so, sound good?”

Lucy held up a tiny thumb, and Ben disappeared in a flash of green light. Grey Matter stood right next to Lucy, “Gwen!”

Gwen sighed, “So I have to drive?”

Cooper groaned on the ground.

Helen had looked at their pile of weapons, two blasters, three plumber knifes, and one prototool. Alan had found some cans of peaches in the basement, and Kevin got a bag of chips that he hid in the barn, all four of them searched the barn, but found no Null Void Projector. Helen had no idea how they were going to find their parents. 

“I found it!” Pierce yelled as he climbed out the hole, “I found the building!”

“Really?” Alan asked more happy shocked than anything. 

Pierce nodded rapidly, and looked down to his tablet. “It took so long to get any information on the building itself, but I got final blueprints, and specs, and even some things on the people who work there.”

“Pierce!” Helen said, “That’s amazing!” Soon the entire group was in a hug, including Kevin. Even though it was a side opening hug, Kevin still said, “Nice going, man.”

“Make way!” A girl screamed as she came flying by on a hoverboard, Ben’s hoverboard. Crashing into the barn, a blonde and the girl both came out of the barn. 

“Who are you?” Helen asked posing for a fight. 

The blonde’s hands were soon covered in goop, and the goop turned into a blonde girl who smiled wide, “I’m Lucy. The boy’s Cooper, and the redhead is Gwen.”

Kevin let his nose curl. Helen gave the introductions, “I’m Helen. The tetramand’s Manny, this dork is my brother, Pierce. He’s Alan, and that’-”

“Kevin?” Gwen screamed. Kevin shrugged, “Aw, you remember me?”

Gwen pointed at Kevin as she walked towards him, “What are you doing here?”

“Benji didn’t tell ya? You’re helping us get our parents,” Kevin crossed his arms smirking. 

“Like hell I’ll help you!” Gwen screamed in Kevin’s face, “I bet this is just a ploy to kill Ben again!”

The entire group gasped, and Pierce turned to Kevin, “Why is she talking about you killing Ben?”

“That was a long time ago, I’m different.”

“Not long enough, Ben still has nightmares about you!”

“Incoming!” Everyone craned their necks to see a Necrofriggian land in the middle. 

“What’s wrong?” Ben said confused by everyone looking at him. 

“Did…” Helen started out, “did Kevin ever try to kill you?”

Ben de-transform and stared at Helen, “That was a long time ago. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, Ben! Kevin is right here-” Gwen started. 

“He’s my friend, now. And we’re gonna help him, because the people who took Grandpa took their parents, and they’re doing illegal shit,” Ben interrupted crossing his arms, “The more of us against them the better.”

Gwen seethed, but backed off. Looking around at everyone, Ben sighed, “Is everyone introduced?”

Pierce nodded, before smiling, “I found the building.” 

Ben smiled back, “Great. We’ll talk and eat at the same time, then go over the weapons and plan.”

The building was a tower named ‘Rooter Tower’, which Ben didn’t understand at all. There were five levels, and a small wall around the base. 

“The prisoners are being held on either the fourth floor or the top floor,” Ben said gesturing to the picture on the computer. They had came back to the basement with lunch and the weapons. Pierce had pulled up the diagrams on the screen. 

“Why there?” Lucy asked eating a can of peaches. 

“There to high for anyone to escape, plus there’s a lot free space at the top. The center panel that controls the whole building is also on the top here,” Ben said pointing to the blue box on the map. 

“Our goal is to distract the people who took our families, and get Cooper there, so he can let them free and he escape.”

“So we run away?” Manny said, “I’m sure we can take them.”

“The only way the got Devin, Angie, and Sam is because they weren’t prepared. Now that they’re there they’re getting weaker. The other plumber’s that they took have been there for who knows how long. Whoever has them, are smart, and cunning. So we have to be smarter, and more cunning.” Pierce said. 

Ben pressed a button on the console and the screen switch to pictures of three aliens, and a empty picture.

Pierce continued the explanation, “These are the people who took our families. The Aerophibian that attacked us in the truck is named Swift, she’s fast, and usually fights from the air. The Prypiatosian-B is Leander. He’s a heavy-hitter, and lastly we have the Terroranchula, we don’t know much about this one expect that he’s the strongest one.”

“About the blank dude?”

“Nothing, not even a name,” Ben said looking at the computer 

“So, what do we do?” Helen asked.

“Here’s the plan, Gwen and Helen will lead Swift a good few miles away from the tower and keep her distracted. Gwen because her magic-” Ben started.

“Mana,” Gwen interrupted.

“Her magic lets her be offensive  **and** defensive. Helen because she’s faster than Swift, and lead her pretty far.” Ben continued.

Helen shrugged before looking at Gwen holding out her hand, “Girls are the best anyway.”

Gwen fistbumped Helen, “Got that right.”

“Lucy, and Alan need to lead the Terroranchula out in the open, along with Leander, so you two and Pierce plus Manny can fight them.”

“Yes!” Manny said pumping his arms up, “I get the big guy.”

Pierce rolled his eyes, as Ben talked, “Kevin and I are going to get Cooper up to the fifth floor so he can release everyone. Any questions?”

“Yeah,” Cooper said, “if Pierce figured all this out. How come I have to come? Pierce is smart!”

“Because Pierce is a fighter, not a hacker like you,” Ben said before turning to Pierce, “not to say you aren’t smart.”

“No. I get it,” Pierce said, “We don’t have the time for me to do it. It took me hours just to get this information and it’s barely anything.”

“It’s enough,” Helen said before her brother got upset about it. 

“How are we gonna get there?” Lucy asked. 

Ben sighed, “Does anyone know how to drive the truck?”

Alan slowly raised his arm up. 

“Alan! My man!” Manny yelled engulfing him in a hug. 

Gwen took one look at the car, and said, “No. No way. Ben look at it. It’s worse than the Rustbucket.”

Ben rolled his eyes before digging in his bag. Taking his tablet out, Ben shook it, “Come on out.”

Ship came out and blinked sleepily once, before wagging his tail at Ben. Petting Ship, Ben walked to the bed of the truck, and Ship let out happy beeps. 

“If Ship can repair the truck, why can’t he drive it, too?” Alan asked staring at the shift-stick. 

“Because he too little, and too young.” Ben put Ship down, who quickly took the space of the eaten bed. 

“Relax, I got my learner’s permit, and I’ll be right in the front with you,” Kevin said putting his hand on Alan’s shoulder. Alan nodded, a little pale, “My uncle- he used to let me drive the truck full of corn, but only on the farm, I’ve never been on the highway, before.”

“Which is why I’m gonna help you, “ Kevin said as he stretched his arms out, “Don’t worry about it.”

Alan nodded again, a little less pale. 

According to Pierce’s tablet they would be at Rushmore in twelve hours. They had not been stopped by any highway patrol or police, so everything looked good. The only problem was that it was way too far for anything good to happen. Manny, Helen and Pierce were wearing their ID masks, to look just like yesterday.

“By the time we get there it’ll be like five in the morning,” Manny complained. 

“That’s not the biggest worry,” Ben turned into the cab of the truck, which only held Alan, and Kevin so Alan wouldn’t be cramped.

“Ship can’t hold shape for that long. We’ll have to stop pretty soon, six hours is his limit.”

“What’ll happen if we go past six hours?” Lucy wondered. 

“Ship will deteriorate and we won’t have enough room for everyone,” Ben said. 

Lucy waved her hand, “Can’t you just turn Grey Matter again?”

“Lucy,” Ben said, “I don’t think you understand.  **My dog will die.** ”

Lucy quieted down before whispering, “I thought you’d meant he’d just go back to normal size.”

“It’s fine,” Ben said, “Besides we have like fifty minutes before that happens.”

Gwen asked, “And where are we gonna sleep while Ship recharges?”

“There’s a state park ahead, we can rest there. Besides we have the blankets and sleeping bags from the backpacks that Dad gave us,” Pierce said. Gwen and Pierce were squished together on the right side of the truck, Gwen’s knees almost on top of his. 

Manny, and Helen were leaning on the tailgate, Ben personally would be scared of it popping down and them flying on the road if Ship wasn’t in control of the bottom half of the truck. 

Cooper was on the left side of the truck, while Ben was leaning on the cab, Lucy was sprawled out on the bottom of the bed. Kevin and Alan were in cab of the truck. 

“Wait, don’t we need money to get in a state park?” Alan asked. Ben sighed, and shrugged. 

“I think it’s like three dollars per person or something,” Cooper said. 

“Should Kevin get in the front? I mean Alan is like eleven,” Manny teased.

“I’m thirteen, you buttmuncher,” Alan hissed/whispered. 

“But me or Kevin in the front is a good idea,” Pierce spoke up, making Gwen groan. Gwen was almost asleep against Pierce’s side.

“Judging by the way that Gwennie is curled up against you. Kevin’s gonna switch,” Lucy said as she leaned her head back farther on the Ship part. 

“H-how? There’s no place to pull over,” Alan asked fear crawling back up his skin.

“Guess we’ll have to change on the highway,” Kevin said. 

“Holy crap. I think I’m gonna have a panic attack,” Alan whispered out. 

Cooper moved closer to the little window to the cab, “So, what we’re gonna do is Kevin is gonna slide under Alan, and then Alan will jump over to the passenger side.”

“Wait! Are we actually going to do this?” Alan kinda yelled.

“Yup,” Kevin said as he scooted closer to Alan, “just relax, and hold still.”

Alan let a tiny whimper but nodded. It took about five minutes for Kevin to completely under Alan, “So, I have my foot on the brake, my hands are on the steering wheel, and everything is where it needs to be. So I’m gonna take my right hand away from the wheel, and you’re gonna jump to the side.” 

Alan whimpered, again. Kevin nodded, and quickly ducked his hand down, Alan jumped face first into passenger door. The truck served slightly, but Kevin was quick to align the truck again. 

“Okay, so Alan can you look for money in the front?” Kevin asked. 

While Alan searched for some money, the kids in the bed of the truck started to talk about how they were gonna sleep. 

“I think the girls should get the biggest blanket,” Helen said glaring at Pierce. 

“But there are more boys than girls,” Manny said.

“But girls don’t think it’s weird to cuddle,” Lucy said sitting up.

“What makes you think I won’t cuddle with anyone?” Ben jokingly asked, “I mean I got  _ Azmuth _ to cuddle with me once.”

“Ben isn’t allowed to cuddle with anyone, he’s like a freaking octopus,” Gwen said scooting slightly away from Ben, and Pierce. 

“Once we were about five and going to a family vacation, all of us took a trip to a campsite in Grandpa’s RV,” Gwen started the story, “And Ben fell asleep on top of me. He wouldn’t let go of me until Grandpa picked him up four hours later.”

Ben shrugged, “I’m cuddler, not my fault.”

“So,” Manny started, “who would you cuddle out of everyone here?”

“If I got my way, everyone all at once,” Ben said.

“That’s what she said,” Kevin threw back over his shoulder. 

“Wait,” Helen said, “couldn’t we just use the ID masks to make Alan look older.”

Alan stopped in his tracks, and screamed, “You couldn’t think of that earlier?” 

Helen blushed, “Sorry, Alan.”

Kevin looked over his shoulder again, “Just pass me the stupid mask.”

Cooper dug through the bag before slipping it through the window. Slipping it on, Kevin turned to look like a nineteen year old. With long black hair, and a hella big chin.

“Can I braid your hair?” Ben asked. 

“Try and I will swerve this car as soon as possible,” Kevin said. 

Ben chuckled, as Helen started the conversation again, “So girls, get the big blanket, and Manny and Pierce can share the other blanket.”

“What? Why do we have to share the smaller blanket?” Pierce interjected. 

“Because then Alan and Kevin can share the third blanket, and Coop and Ben get the sleeping bags,” Helen said.

“Why can’t I get a sleeping bag?” Alan said as he looked at the change in his hand.

“Because they’re are our guests, and Dad said that we always treat the guest right!” Helen replied. 

Alan hmphed, and Ben said, “I’ll trade you Alan. I like having someone near me. It’s one of the reason that Ship is the best puppy ever.”

Ben rubbed Ship, and the bottom part of the truck jumped a little.

“Ben!” Gwen yelled.

“Sorry!” Ben screamed, “Ship, you just have to stay together for just to a little bit longer.”

Ship quieted down and even out. Ben turned to Kevin, “We are getting close right?”

Kevin nodded, “This turn right here.”

The state park barely had any cars in the parking lot, as Kevin parked, “So, I’ll go and buy us a night in the camping sites, and everyone else say in the truck.”

Alan passed Kevin the money he found, five dollars, and thirty-seven cents.

“I’m coming with you,” Ben said as he crawled over the side.

Kevin pointed, “Fine. The rest of you stay.”

Helen rolled her eyes, and Ben turned to back, “Pass me my backpack.”

Kevin was already walking away as Cooper handed Ben his backpack. Running to catch up, Ben responded, “God, I wish you’re shorter than me when we’re older.”

“Never gonna happen, Benji,” Kevin replied. 

The park officer was a man in his thirties, and was reading a magazine, “If you looking for a gas station, it’s five miles down the road.”

“Actually we want to stay the night in one of your campsites,” Kevin said. 

The man raised an eyebrow, “You sure?”

Kevin nodded. And the old man said, “Five dollars.”

“You aren’t gonna ask how many people are here?” Ben asked looking at the some of the souvenirs.

“Nah, none of my business,” the guy replied. 

Handing the money over to the guy he continued, “Ya learn the older you get not to ask too many questions when you watch over the woods.”

“Yeah, I guess. I’d missed my home planet if I was here long enough,” Ben said.

“What you talkin’ about boy?”

“You’re a Necrofriggian, and you got banished or something,” Ben shrugged, “If I was you I’d just join the plumbers, but you did do that, seeing as this is the plumber base in this state.”

“And where’d you get all that?”

Ben pulled his red spot out of his pocket, and then pointed to the cameras in the corners, “Those are way too high tech for a place like this. At least make them look cheap.”

The guy laughed as he ripped off his ID mask, and a rather large Necrofriggian standing in his place, “So how does a little tyke like you have a red spot?”

Ben stuck his watch out, and smiled. The Necrofriggian let out a whistle, “Well seeing as y’all are plumbers why don’t y’all spend the night here in cabin.”

Kevin slipped his ID mask, and nodded, “I’ll go get everyone else.”

Ben and the Necrofriggian looked at each other. Ben smiled, “We’re going to Rushmore, but our truck needs to cool down a little.”

The Necrofriggian nodded, “How many of there are you?”

His answer was a Kineceleran running through the doors followed by a Tetramand. Pierce, Alan, Lucy, and Cooper all crashed in as Gwen and Kevin were carrying everything including Ship. Ben whispered to Ship, “Oh no, you look so pale.”

Ship let out a few weak beeps, and he really was pale. His black body was a grey, and his green stripes weren’t glowing like normal. Taking Ship from Kevin’s hands Ben whispered, “How about we borrow Pierce’s tablet and play for a while?”

Ship let out a few happy beeps and bumped his head against Ben.

“I thought he’s in pain because he’s been transformed all this time,” Pierce said. 

“No, he’s in pain because he’s been in one form for too long, he needs to stimulated. So about your tablet?” Ben asked.

Pierce passed over his tablet, “Why can’t you use your’s?”

“Azmuth made it so if anything he doesn’t deem important gets on it it’ll be destroyed.. He put a virus on it that would kill Ship.”

Pierce winced, before nodding. Waving the tablet in front Ship, he brightened up and absorb the tablet.

“How about I show y’all the rooms y’all be sleeping in?” The Necrofriggian said, “By the way, my name is Lachlan.”

“I’m Helen. The cranky dude is Pierce. The redhead is Gwen. Emo haircut is Kevin, the Tetramand is Manny. That’s Alan and Cooper in the back, Lucy is the blonde girl. And that’s Ben.”

“Nice to meet all of y’all,” Lachlan said, and lead them to the back. The room that the girls were sharing had three beds, and one desk. The boys got to split up in 2 rooms, each room with two beds. 

“So, who’s sleeping by themself and who’s sharing a bed?” Pierce asked.

“I’m sleeping by myself,” Cooper said as walked into the room on the left.

“What crawled in his pants and died?” Manny asked. 

Ben shrugged, he did have an idea though, “I’m gonna be playing with Ship for a few hours so he feels better, so whoever I get the room with is gonna be bright.”

“Me and Manny can share a bed with Cooper on the other one, you two figure out who’s cuddling who in your room.” Pierce said already walking to his room. 

Walking in their room, Kevin stretched, “We can do this like how we talked in the truck. Alan by himself and me and Ben in one bed.”

Ben nodded, and kicked off his shoes. 

“I’m fine with that,” Alan jumping onto his bed, and groaned, “god, I love actual beds.”

Kevin chuckled as Ben crawled on the bed and got the tablet. The tablet went from a silver shiny cover to a grey and non-glowing green. Ben opened up an app of ‘Sumo Slammers’.

“I didn’t know Pierce liked Sumo Slammers,” Ben whispered as he press two player, and Ship choose his character. 

“Yeah, we usually finish our fights in ‘vs’,” Kevin laid back on the right side of the bed. 

“Goodnight, Alan, Kevin,” Ben said. 

“Night,” Kevin replied.

“Sweet dreams,” Alan spoke face down on the bed, half asleep.

The morning came with a very sleepy Ben clinging to Kevin. Alan was over both them, trying not to laugh. Ship was out of the tablet curled in the area between their stomachs. 

“Don’t you dare laugh, Alan,” Kevin whispered, angry. 

“I can’t help it,” Alan chuckled, “You want me to go get Gwen?”

“No-” Kevin cut himself at Ben squeezing his shoulders tighter, ”Yes.”

Alan continued to chuckled as he left the room. Alan not only came back with Gwen, but also Pierce, and Manny. 

Pierce and Manny almost choked at the sight of Ben curled around Kevin with a fearful expression. 

“If either of you wake him up, I will beat you to death with Pierce’s tablet,” Kevin hissed trying to keep his voice down. 

Gwen rolled her eyes, “Will one of you help me?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Seeing Kevin like this is too good to past up,” Manny said putting one of his hands on his chin.

Gwen gave them an unimpressed look, and Pierce hit Manny on the arms, “I’ll help.”

“Okay. Go to the other side and tickle Ben’s armpits,” Gwen said to Pierce.

“Should we move Ship first?” Manny asked. Gwen nodded and carefully picked up Ship by under his arms, Ship let out a small whimper. Ben suddenly whipped his arms over and hit Manny on the chest.

“Ow! What was that for?” Manny said. 

“Don’t fucking touch my dog,” Ben mumbled burying into Kevin again.

Alan chuckled as he took Ship who curled in his arms. Manny moved to stand next to Alan.Gwen mouthed, ‘one, two, three,’ and her and Pierce both went for Ben’s armpits. Ben let out a giggle/shriek and curled in on himself. Kevin rolled of the bed, and fell flat on his face. 

Pierce snorted, “you okay?”

Kevin extended his arm and held a thumbs up. Manny and Alan laughed a bit. Kevin stood up and looked at Ben, who was still curled in the blankets. 

“Are you going to get up or am I going to have to carry you to breakfast?” Kevin said, crossing his arms. 

“Kevin no,” Gwen whispered as Ben wordlessly put his arms out in a child manner of ‘carry me’. 

Manny outright laughed, “Seriously?” 

Ben nodded and stuck his arms out further. While the boys in the room chuckled Gwen shook her head, “Ben is lazy as they come. He’d probably ask someone to carry him while he fought Vilgax. 

Ben finally opened his eyes, and glared at Gwen, “would not.”

“So you’ll get up and walk to breakfast, then?” Gwen teased smiling at her cousin. 

“Ugh,” Ben rolled over, “five more minutes.” 

Gwen rolled her eyes, “Ben. Rushmore. Grandpa Max. The other’s parents.”

Ben sat up and rubbed his eye, “I am tired y’know. Going as XLR8 twice, then Grey Matter. All day in a car.”

“Ben, go eat and get ready to spend the rest of today in the car,” Gwen pointed to the door. 

“You’re lame,” Ben crawled off the bed and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, “You’re glad I’m hungry.”

Gwen crossed her arms. Alan, Pierce, and Manny all went right after Ben. Kevin started to walk when Gwen pressed her hand in Kevin’s chest, “What do you want with my cousin?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Gwen got her face closer to Kevin’s, “why are you trying to redeem yourself by having Ben fight for you?”

Kevin’s face went red, “I never told Benji to fight. In fact, he thought of finding our parents all by himself. And if you’re so mad about why don’t you leave?”

Gwen hissed out, “They’re after Omnisoa, and Ben thinks that he has to protect everyone even a stupid myth like that. He has to be there for you, me, even Azmuth because Ben is a hero. He will get himself killed if I’m not watching him.”

“Yeah? If you’re his keeper then had come you weren’t there when his light’s turned out? Or when his parents left and never came back? When he sent out a distress signal because he could have died? Hmm, where were you?”

“I may not know everything about my cousin, but I know him more than you. I was there for the nightmares, the doctors, the hospital. If you ever do something that might put him back there, I will come after you and I will make you regret ever meeting us in New York.”

Gwen and Kevin were staring at each other as if one movement meant the go ahead to kill the other. 

Cooper came running in, “Guys you’ll-” Cooper froze and switched pressure on his feet. Coughing, Cooper said, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Gwen turned away from Kevin and started towards the door, “me and Kevin were just talking about Ben.”

Cooper turned to Kevin to see if he went along with it, “Yup. Just talking about how Benji needs more friends to talk to, seeing as his cousin Gwen here knows everything about her poor little defenseless cousin.”

“Defenseless?” Cooper said, “You realize you’re talking about Ben here, right? Owner of the Omnitrix.”

“Of course I know. But that’s how Gwen views her cousin,” Kevin said as all three of them were walking in the hallway down to the kitchen. 

“I never said that, Kevin,” Gwen said as they entered the kitchen. Lachlan was at the oven cooking eggs and bacon. Helen and Lucy were squished against each other, whispering and giggling oh so often. Manny and Pierce were on the other side of the table looking over Pierce’s tablet with concern. Alan was setting out the silverware and Ben had his head on the table still resting. 

Lachlan saw them first and spoke up, “Hope y’all don’t mind fried eggs. Didn’t want to wake ya up.”

“It’s fine for me. I can eat anything,” Gwen said walking to the side with the girls and Ben, shaking his shoulder, “Ben wake up. Breakfast is almost done.”

“Need… slushy,” Ben said flipping his cheek on the table, “Gwen, I’m dehydrating.”

Gwen giggled a tiny bit, and ran her fingers through Ben’s hair, “You’re going to be fine, Ben.”

“You don’t know that,” Ben poked her in the side, “I could die of boredom in the truck to Rushmore.”

“Y’all can always use my teleporter,” Lachlan offered as he plopped the bacon on a paper plate and grabbed the sliced up potatoes for hash browns. 

“The plumber’s have a teleporter?” Pierce said out loud with excitement in his eyes. 

“No,” Cooper said, “the plumber’s are developing a teleporter. It’s extremely unsafe and made by the dumbest Galvans ever.”

“Blukic and Driba are still smarter than you, boy,” Lachlan said stirring the pan with the hash browns. 

“Blukic and Driba?” Ben said raising his head a tiniest bit. 

“Yup. They may be considered stupid on Galvan Prime, but they are smart enough to know where they’d be used best.”

“Wait a minute,” Gwen said, “you know Blukic and Driba?”

“Yuppo. All three of us were rookies in the Plumber Academy at the same time,” Lachlan then gestured to the eggs, and bacon which were both done, “Now, why don’t y’all start eating before it gets cold?”

“How come you know about these Galvans?” Helen asked already with her plate made. 

“Well, when Grandpa Max and the plumbers have to go fight some bad guy, Blukic and Driba are in charge of us,” Gwen said as she grabbed two fried eggs. 

“They’re basically our awesome babysitters that let me fight whatever I want, and let Gwen cast her spells in the living room,” Ben said as held his plate out for some hash browns. Since the hash browns just came off the pan, Lachlan was scooping them off onto plates instead of letting the children get the food themselves. 

“Wow,” Alan said, “I thought Galvans were real sticklers for the rules.”

“Only Azmuth,” Gwen said, then she jammed a forkful of egg in her mouth. 

“Isn’t he the smartest Galvan ever?” Manny said with his mouth full of bacon. Pierce scrunched his nose up at the sight. 

“Yup,” Ben said with his plate already empty.

“Wow, you sure at that fast,” Kevin said. Ben reached his fork over and stabbed Kevin’s bacon.

“Hey!”

“I have to eat a lot considering the fact that the Omnitrix uses my energy to transform,” Ben shoved the bacon in his mouth. 

“How does it do that?” Pierce asked.

“What are you, a Galvan?” Cooper said as he pushed his food around. 

Lucy raised her eyebrow, “Is everything alright Cooper?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I just don’t like playing twenty questions over the breakfast table,” Cooper said angry. 

The kids all got quiet knowing that Cooper was upset, and who knew what would set him off. Lachlan spoke back up, “I’m gonna go warm up the teleporter. Y’all said you were going to Rushmore, right?”

“Yup,” Ben said eating some of Alan’s hash browns.

Lachlan nodded and walked off further into the semi-house/semi-store. The entire room went quiet as everyone ate their breakfast. Lachlan came back into the room, and proudly claimed, “I got the teleporter all up and runnin’.”

Everyone put their plates in the sink. Manny and Pierce went to gather all their equipment from the truck. Ben tripled checked to make sure that they got the little bit of stuff that they brought into their rooms. 

“Alright,” Lachlan said as they entered the room with the teleporter, “Who’s going first?”

“Why does it matter?” Pierce asked as he looked at the supposed teleporter. It looked like a normal blaster, but there was extra wires protruding and connected to the wall.

“Well, we can only send one at a time. The machine’s real sensitive and a basic prototype.”

“Let’s go by age,” Helen suggested as Pierce rolled his eyes. 

“So, it’ll go Pierce, Kevin, me, Helen, Alan, Lucy, Gwen, Ben, and then Cooper,” Manny said counting everyone off with his fingers. 

Kevin nodded, “Yeah, that sounds just about right.”

“Pierce you’re gonna have to stand right over there and stand perfectly still,” Lachlan gestured with his hand, and was messing with some of the buttons on the device. 

Pierce nodded, then stood and was quickly sent off in a blue light. 

It wasn’t long before everyone was out and the only two there was Ben and Cooper. Ben asked Cooper, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

Lachlan pushed Ben lightly to the spot, “I know you’re lying, Coops.”

Cooper seemed to shrink in on himself, “I just hate how -how suddenly all these new kids show up and get all this -this attention.”

Ben stayed frozen since he was about to be transported.

“It’s like they weren’t there when the highbreeds. And they attacked all of Earth. How can anyone miss that? Or when Vilgax came and tried to kill you, again?” Cooper through his arms around, “I mean how can anyone suddenly trust someone that they haven’t met yet? What if them just hanging around causes more problems?”

_ I think that if everyone would cause more problems that necessary would be me,  _ Ben thought quietly. 

Being teleported kinda felt like being tickled by a cat tongue but everywhere even in the insides. The room was a purple-ish pink with long shadows along the walls. Ben’s vision was still blurry and sound was coming in all muffled. 

A big blur of tan was in front of him, and was moving in a way that Ben knew as a psychological exam. It took a few minutes for both his sight and hearing to return. Pierce and Gwen was crouched down next to him, Gwen’s hand on his forehead. 

“Can you hear us now?” Pierce asked quieter than normal.

“Yeah,” Ben whispered, “why are we whispering?”

“Oh, is Benjamin finally wake or is he still snoozing after that horrendous battle with Vilgax?” a voice spoke up. 

_ NO,  _ Ben screamed in thoughts before pushing Gwen and Pierce away and he could see into the jail cell. A reversed colored Ben sitting in with his leg under one knee. His hair was white and somehow windswept; his ruby eyes sparked with mischief almost matching Ben’s own.

“Albedo,” Ben said glaring the human turned Galvan. 

“Who exactly is he?” Helen said pointing through the clear wall. 

“Ben’s evil clone,” Lucy giggled.

“False!” Albedo screamed standing up. 

“He’s basically my evil clone, “ Ben said gesturing to the other tween.

“I am not your evil clone. I am a Galvan whose DNA has been -er, combined with Benjamin’s. And his DNA has corrupted mine, turning into this deformed version of the hero with the Omnitrix,” Albedo explained happily. 

“Do you want to tell them why your DNA was combined with Ben’s?” Gwen teased leaning against the wall. 

“No,” Albedo said turning back into his cell.

“He tried to copy the Omnitrix, but Azmuth made a fail safe on it so only Ben’s DNA can use it,” Gwen faked whispered to the group, “As a punishment, Azmuth made him permanently fused with Ben’s DNA.”

“Which was unjust!” Albedo objected.

“It was not!” Gwen talked back.

“I am left on this forsaken mudball, with these awful cravings-”

“Slushies, chili fries, and meatball subs,” Ben explained.

“In this inadequate form-”

“Rude,” Ben interrupted with Lucy giggling in the background.

“Locked in this cell for crimes that I have regretted for far too long,” Albedo said glaring into the farthest corner of the cell.  

“What would you do if you got out?” Helen asked. 

“Do not mock me,” Albedo said as he fell back on his bed. In Ben’s opinion it seemed like Albedo lost all his hatred and anger. 

“I’m not mocking you,” Helen said softly, “I just would like to know what you’d do if you got out.”

Albedo made a humming noise before he turned over and left his back to everyone. Helen glared a little and turned to the others, “Let’s go find the Null Void Projector.”

Albedo snorted, and Helen looked back, “What’s so funny?”

No answer. Helen huffed and turned to look for any weapons and the Null Void Projector. Ben noticed that the air smelled a little like burnt mealworms, and sugared grasshoppers.

“Ben, do you smell that?” Gwen said looking hopeful.

“Y-yeah,” Ben said back turning towards to the direction the kitchen was. Gwen was speeding off. 

“Gwen-Gwen, wait!” Ben screamed after her. Ben finally caught up to her in the kitchen, a pot of goop on the floor, a burnt pan with the sourest smells emitting, and the table flipped holes from a blaster pierced into it. 

“What happened?” Manny asked as he entered the room. He then winced at the state and looked around.

“They didn’t even get into space,” Gwen whispered horrified. 

“How could Albedo not hear this?” Helen asked as she rolled to the fridge. 

“He was muted,” Kevin said, “I couldn’t hear him, and he couldn’t hear me when I first got here.”

Gwen broke a little more as she walked towards the oven. Ben inhaled through his teeth at was hanging off the handle.

“What’s that?” Pierce asked taking a few steps forward.

“Grandpa’s dog tags,” Gwen answered bring the dog tags closer to her face, “He didn’t even take them off for our birthday picture or-or to go swimming with us every summer.”

Ben switched his feet pressure and spoke back up, “Grandpa always promised Gwen that she’d get them once she went off to college. Ken got his old records, plus his player. And I’d get his - I’d get his-” Ben broke off and couldn’t breathe. 

Gwen jumped and ran to him, “Ben. Ben, it’s okay. We have to find him.”

Ben nodded, “We can do this. I mean we did a lot more without him, like karate and gymnastics.”

“Student council, and soccer,” Gwen replied.

“Andoite, and Omnitrix,” Ben finished. The others stood awkwardly before Helen spoke up, “I’ll look through cupboards and try to find something for lunch.”

“Then we can go rescue everyone,” Ben said looking around at everyone.

“Here, Helen,” Gwen said, “I’ll help you find something. Grandpa always stocked up -uh, some acquired tastes.”

Ben looked at the others, “And the rest of us can find that projector and some better weapons. 

They spent about three hours looking into all the shelves that Rushmore had before Kevin started playing twenty questions about the plumbers with Ben, “So is this the only base on Earth?”

“No, there’s one in Australia, and another in rural China,” Ben said as he opened a new shelf.

“Oh. Cool,” Kevin got quiet, “Have you been there?”

“Yeah, I mean this one’s getting updated, and Grandpa is getting a fourth one built in Bellwood since so many bad guys come there,” Ben closed the shelf and moved to the other side of the hall.

“I wonder why,” Kevin teased.

“Haha, Kevin” Ben flat toned back.

“Okay, so, Albedo,” Kevin brought up. 

“Yeah?”

“Is he like really a Galvan morphed with your DNA?” Kevin asked.

“Wow, morphed? It’s almost like you read,” Ben teased. 

“Fuck you.”

“But, yeah. He’s a Galvan, and he was pretty smart. An apprentice of Azmuth and was even allowed access to the Omnitrix,” it was almost like Ben was bragging about him. But then again, Albedo was one of the only people who gave Ben trouble in fights. 

“Man, I bet that Azmuth was pretty hurt when he betrayed him by messing with the Omnitrix,” Kevin said as he got elbow deep in one of the shelves.

“Yeah, I guess,” Ben said, quieting down. 

It turns out that Manny and Alan found the Null Void Projector, and Gwen and Helen made the best soup ever. 

“What’s in here?” Pierce asked as liquid dribbled down his chin before he realized and wiped it off. 

“I have no idea,” Helen said, “Gwen peeled the labels off before I could read them.”

“It’s a recipe that my Grandma taught me,” Gwen answered. 

Ben and Kevin both arrived when Gwen’s smile got a little bit wider.

“Boys! Sit down while I get you some soup,” Gwen gestured to the table. 

“I’m gonna die aren’t I?” Kevin asked. 

Ben laughed, “Nah, Gwen would do it all gladiator style including the tigers and lions.”

“That doesn’t calm me down,” Kevin stated while everyone else laughed. 

The first sip of soup was delicious so Kevin practically inhaled the bowl. After everyone -including Lucy and Cooper- had their full of soup, Gwen turned to Ben, “What was in it?”

“Hmm,” Ben tilted his chin a bit, “Powdered chinese crickets, fried grounded blowfish, and bablon root powder from Khoros .”

“Dammit!” Gwen screamed throwing her arms up.

“Wait a minute,” Helen said, “We ate crickets?!”

“I mean, I’ve definitely have worse,” Manny said. 

“Yeah, Pierce’s cooking for example,” Alan teased.

Pierce huffed and Gwen grumbled, “We started this game where we make one of our Grandparents recipes but change the main three ingredients. The other guesses.”

“Sometimes, we got Grandpa and Grandma in on it. That time that you replace lobster with shrimp, but you under boiled so all of us got food poisoning,” Ben laughed a little. 

“That wasn’t funny Ben,” Gwen chided. 

“No, but do you remember what Grandpa told us?” Ben asked.

Gwen sighed, “As long as you have family beside you then everything will work out.”

“Aww,” Lucy said, “Group hug, now!”

“I don-” Manny protested, just to be elbowed by Pierce, “Come on.” 

Soon everyone was in massive group hug. The silence was filled by Lucy’s giggles and most of the boys making complaining noises. 

The largest room where they could make a large enough hole to the Null Void had the group pass by Albedo’s cell. Albedo had his back to them, and didn’t acknowledge them passing by.

Ben stopped and as Gwen would say, ‘one of the worst things Ben could do: think’. Albedo was strong, had an Ultimatrix, and had no one was there that would care if Albedo left. Ben shifted pressure and started to do what Gwen and Grandpa Max would do, way the risks against the pay-off.

He knew how to fight, he knew how to take someone’s strengths against them in a fight. He knew the Null Void. Ben started to bite his thumbnail, and thought of what would be the best thing for the adults. Not him or Gwen or even Albedo. 

“Is everything alright, Ben?” Helen turned back and noticed how far away Ben was. 

“I’m just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Pierce asked.

“Well, “ Ben glanced his eyes over to Albedo. 

“Ben, no, “ Gwen said already knowing what her cousin was thinking about. 

“Okay, but think about it this way, he’s smart and resourceful in a fight. Besides all I need to open up the cell is my hand.”

“What are you talking about?” Albedo stared at Ben like he was growing a second head. 

“Grandpa Max and all the plumbers here, plus their families were taken by some weird dudes in the Null Void,” Ben explained.

“Is that all?” Albedo said dryly. 

“They’re looking for Omnisoa,” Ben said, not breaking eye contact with Albedo. 

“Oh shit,” Albedo said before blushing. 

Gwen snorted while Lucy gasped mockingly and loud. Albedo glared, “Well, excuse me if you’re not as shocked that the actual heir to the universe is being hunted.”

“Yeah,” Kevin said rolling his eyes, “it’s not like they’re real or something.”

“Seeing as how Azmuth found an asteroid of Omnisoa’s DNA, yeah, they’re real,” Albedo said rolling his shoulders, “I would love to help-”

“Great!” Ben said jumping slightly.

“But, I’m stuck in here,” Albedo said as he turned away from the group. 

“Pshh,” Ben said as he waved his hands, “you don’t think I have a access card?”

“Ben,” Pierce spoke up, “do you really think that’s this is a good idea?”

Ben stopped for a moment, “I-I.” He turned back and forth between Pierce and Albedo.

“Albedo,” Ben looked down, “Do you know what’ll happen if they get Omnisoa?”

“No,” Albedo said.

“Manipulate and play with the entire universe, destroying lives and creating new ones just for fun. The entire universe would be a sandbox for these creeps, no consequences, and no regard for anyone else.”

“Sounds like Vilgax,” Albedo replied. 

“Albedo, I know that you are a bad guy, but listen, you feel bad, right?”

Albedo shrugged.

“Get redeemed. No backstabbing, the entire universe would suffer, everyone would suffer.”

“Okay, I promise,” Albedo said and swayed.

“Okay,” Ben turned to the others, “We have to stay for an extra while. Gwen, I need you to find the Ultimatrix chip. We have to find some more weapons, and Albedo needs some food.”

“Oh thank god,” Albedo said, “the drones haven’t come in a week and a half.”

Gwen rolled her eyes, “Let’s go over the plan a second time, with some addends and maybe you should write to Azmuth.”

Ben bite his lip, “I guess.”

Gwen nodded and turned away. 

“But if he criticizes my grammar, I’m gonna mess with his science stuff!”

“Science stuff?”

“Shush, Albedo.”

Albedo had ate the leftovers from Gwen’s soup, and all of the new soup that Ben had just made. Ben already wrote the email for Axmuth, he just wasn’t going to send it yet. 

“So, Gwen and Helen are dealing with the Aerophibian, Swift. They’re leading her far from the compound,” Ben started to go over as Albedo looked over blueprints on Pierce’s tablet.

“Pierce, Lucy, Alan, and Manny are fighting a Terroranchula, and a Prypiatosian-B outside but not that far. Me, Kevin and Cooper is going to go inside to rescue the adults and deal with the last guy. Who we know nothing about.”

“And me?”

“That’s kinda what I’m thinking about,” Ben said looking over at Pierce’s tablet, “Helen and Gwen are the only ones fighting by themselves far away. The problem is that the Terroranchula and the Prypiatosian-B are the strongest two. And the last dude we know nothing about so.”

Albedo shrugged, “Personally, I would put me against the one we know nothing about. Everyone seems fitted against each other.”

“That sounds fine to me,” Helen said from the door. 

“Then let’s go,” Ben said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHH! It's so freaking long, I swear to god. I've never wrote something this long. 
> 
> Sidenote: this might change to 5 chapters if I want an epilouge, soooooo.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is https://fluffiestdork.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Please come talk to me about my trash au please
> 
> give me ideas too please


End file.
